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OUT  FROM 


An  Autobiography. 

UNFOLDING  THE  LIFE  STORE  AND  SINGULAR 

VICISSITUDES 

OF  A 

SCANDINAVIAN  BARTIMvEUS. 


By  HENRY  HENDRICKSON. 

WITH  A PORTRAIT  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


CAREFULLY  EDITED  AND  REVISED  FOR  THE  PRESS,  TO  MAKE  THE  PUBLICATION 
MOW  OFFERED  TO  FAMILIES 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  DAY. 


CHICAGO: 

The  Western  Sunday-School  Publishing-  Company, 
No.  46  Madison  Street. 

1879. 


COPYRIGHT  BY 
HENRY  HENDRICKSON. 


^Dec  a 9 Ftvf  s, 


& 

WtfSJk ) 


7 


TO  MY  GENEROUS  FRIEND, 


MONS  ANDERSON, 


Of  LaCrosse,  Wib., 

This  Volume  is  Respectfully  Dedicated, 

AS  A SLIGHT  TOKEN  OF  THE  APPRECIATION  IN  WHICH  HE 
IS  HELD  BY  THE  AUTHOR  : 

FOR  NOBLE  QUALITIES  AND  GENEROUS  DEEDS  WHICH  HAVE  WON  THE 
RESPECT  AND  ESTEEM  OF  ALL  CLASSES  IN  THE  NORTHWEST. 

Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Oct.  20,  1879. 


PREFACE. 


Custom,  which  is  ull  but  inexorable,  demands  from 
the  author  of  a book*  a few  prefatory  words  to  intro- 
duce his  bantling  to  the  world  ; and  it  would  be  ungra- 
cious to  regret  the  opportunity  to  say  a few  last  words 
by  way  of  a beginning.  The  preface  to  a book,  like  the 
prologue  to  a play,  must  be  written  after  the  work  is 
otherwise  complete;  and  it  is  pleasant  to  'realize  that 
the  promises  of  long  ago  are  within  a few  days  of  ful- 
fillment in  the  publication  of  this  volume.  The  story 
of  a blind  man’s  life  will  not,  I trust,  be  found  dull  and 
uninteresting,  for  as  Tennyson  says,  u I am  a part  of 
all  that  I have  seen;”  and  that  may  be  supplemented 
with  the  words  of  Hamlet,  “ In  my  mind’s  eye,  Ho- 
ratio.” The  gold  fields  of  Australia  and  the  peculiarities 
of  its  population;  the  perils  of  Chinese  navigation  and 
the  possible  dangers  from  Mongolian  immigration;  the 
great  fire  in  Chicago  in  some  of  its  phases;  some  of  the 
dangers  from  American  monopolists  and  “ ratteners,” 
and  many  other  questions  of  social  importance  which 
more  or  less  immediately  affect  the  blind,  have  been  wo- 
ven into  the  web  of  this  tale.  Beyond  the  hackneyed 
round  of  autobiography  I have  ventured  to  give  brief 
sketches  of  the  history  of  the  Scandinavian  peoples  all 


8 


PREFACE. 


over  the  world,  and  following  to  its  ultimatum  in  this 
country  the  growth  of  liberal  institutions,  have  pre- 
sented to  my  readers  some  few  ideas  as  to  parliament- 
ary government  as  developed  by  the  Anglo-Saxons  in 
England.  The  Scandinavians  as  a people,  are  interested 
in  every  fact  that  shows  how  freedom  has  become  the 
rule  among  the  favored  nations  of  the  earth;  and  the 
blind  of  every  race  cannot  fail  to  assist  in  the  diffusion 
of  a work  from  the  hands  of  one  of  their  own  number. 

The  Author. 

Bureau  of  Literature, 

275  W.  Monroe  st.,  Chicago,  111. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS 


CHAPTER  I. 


“This  life  is  but  a sleep,  and  a forgetting 
The  soul  that  rises  with  us ; our  life’s  star 
Hath  had  elsewhere  its  setting,  and  cometh  from  afar — 
Not  in  entire  forgetfulness,  nor  jet  in  utter  nakedness, 
But  trailing  clouds  of  glory  do  we  come 
From  God  who  is  our  home.” — Wordsworth. 


HE  sublime  mystery  of  life,  fraught  with  joys  for 


JL  the  saddest  of  mankind,  and  with  sorrows  for  even 
those  most  aloof  from  the  meaner  cares  of  earth,  dawned 
upon  me  in  Norway,  in  the  farming  district  of  Valders, 
on  the  x6th  day  of  December,  1843;  and,  although  an 
environment  of  anxiety  has  been  my  lot,  I have  yet  real- 
ized enough  felicity  on  this  green  globe  to  enable  me  to 
thank  my  Creator  for  the  boon  of  existence.  I am  con- 
tent with  the  mercies  which  have  been  allotted  to  me, 
with  the  compensations  which  are  inseparable  from 
my  lot;  and  out  from  the  darkness  would  raise  my  voice, 
in  the  hope  that  the  lessons  from  my  experience  may 
prove  of  service  to  my  fellows — as  well  to  those  who  are 
blessed  with  the  capacity  to  see  the  blue  o’er-arching 
firmament,  the  emerald  footstool  adorned  with  flowers, 
and  that  emblem  of  eternity,  the  ocean,  as  to  those  who 
are  bereft  of  the  faculty  of  vision. 

My  autobiography  shall  be  faithfully  written,  and  dull- 
ness shall  be  avoided,  if  that  be  possible,  by  omitting  the 


9 


10 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


record  of  prosy  details5  such  as  are  common  to  every 
career.  There  are  no  pet  theories  to  be  advanced  in  my 
pages;  no  self-laudations  to  sicken  my  readers,  and  alien- 
ate their  regards;  and  there  shall  be  no  distortions  of 
fact  and  experience,  if  the  pen  will  obey  the  impulse  of 
the  mind.  Sensationalism  is  the  vice  of  the  day,  and, 
according  to  some  authorities,  the  writer  who  will  not 
resort  to  its  attractions  must  suffer  the  pangs  of  neglect; 
but  at  all  risks,  I’ll  none  of  it;  my  trust  shall  be  in  the 
best  feelings  and  strong  mentality  of  manhood  and 
womanhood. 

The  adventures  of  a blind  man,  if  truly  told,  cannot 
be  made  picturesque  by  glowing  delineations  of  wood, 
mountain,  river  and  sea;  that  is  a charm  denied.  The 
yielding  sod  beneath  my  feet  lacks  the  emerald  beauties 
which  I find  descanted  on  by  others,  and  I would  fain 
feel  what  others  may  describe  in  deathless  words;  but 
there  are  worlds  of  thought  and  action  into  which  the 
landscape  does  not  enter,  which  the  mind  * alone  may 
grasp;  and  the  seals  of  that  vast  library  are  open  alike 
to  the  sightless  and  the  seeing.  There  is  ample  scope 
and  verge  enough  for  all  my  powers  of  description,  but 
I shall  avoid  trespassing  beyond  the  bounds  of  patience ; 
a grace  that  is  not  always  exemplified  by  able  writers. 
It  has  often  seemed  to  me  that  there  are  regions  of  con- 
centrated thought  and  vivid  imagination,  which  can  com- 
pensate the  thousands  who  are  bereft  of  vision  for  aU 
the  glories  of  architectural  excellence,  for  the  exquisite 
colors  of  the  rainbow,  for  the  never-to-be-forgotten  tints 
of  sunset  and  sunrise,  for  the  hues  of  flowers,  for  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS, 


11 


brightness  of  the  human  face;  and  in  that  consciousness 
I find  cause  for  unspeakable  joy  in  the  goodness  of  my 
Creator.  A very  large  proportion  of  all  the  men  with 
whom  I come  in  contact  in  my  travels,  are  careless  about, 
or  at  the  very  best  not  diligent  in,  the  cultivation  of  their 
mental  powers;  are  even  negligent  as  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  senses;  as  though  the  boons  of  heaven 
might  be  safely  buried  in  the  earth,  as  the  tinrd  stew- 
ard in  the  scripture  parable  did  with  his  master’s  treas- 
ure enfolded  in  a napkin. 

The  facts  of  my  infant  life  are  necessarily  known  to 
me  only  by  report;  and  in  that  respect  the  blind  are  on 
the  same  plane  with  the  most  favored  of  our  race.  My 
birthplace,  and  the  time  at  which  the  mysteries  of 
this  form  of  existence  first  began  to  affect  me,  have 
been  already  told;  and  I was  yet  a child  when  my 
father  transplanted  the  whole  of  his  family  to  this 
great  Republic;  hence,  I cannot  describe,  except  from 
rumor  and  common  report,  the  charms  which  for  every 
true  Scandinavian  must  ever  cling  to  the  land  of  Fjords 
and  Fjells. 

I often  find  myself  repeating  that  line  from  the 
genial  Irish  poet,  Goldsmith,  author  of  “The  Vicar  of 
Wakefield,”  “The  Deserted  Village,”  and  other  works 
that  will  long  live  in  the  minds  of  men: 

w A bold  peasantry,  their  country’s  pride, 

Which,  once  destroyed,  can  never  be  supplied;’* 

because  those  lines  aptly  describe  the  status  of  the 
class  to  which  my  father  belonged,  although  it  might 

be  claimed  that  he  was  rather  a yeoman  than  a peas- 


12 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


ant.  The  two  names  describe  the  more  and  less 
wealthy  members  of  the  same  great  class,  the  noble 
army  of  industry,  by  whose  conquests  the  earth  is 
iubdued  to  the  purposes  of  man,  the  prosperity  of 
nations  is  builded  upon  a basis  ten  thousand  times  more 
;o  be  relied  upon  than  war,  and  upon  whose  succeses 
»n  the  humbler  arts  of  life  the  triumphs  of  science, 
literature  and  art  — advanced  fruits  of  civilization  — 
alone,  become  possible. 

My  father  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  mus- 
cular men  of  his  class  in  Valders,  and  his  extraordi- 
nary powers  of  body  were  matched  by  a will  power 
seldom  equalled,  a constancy  of  mind  that  could 
hardly  be  excelled.  He  had  been  wise  or  fortunate 
in  the  selection  of  a partner,  for  my  mother  was  dear, 
not  only  to  her  children,  but,  as  it  seemed,  to  all  per- 
sons with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  The  sweetness 
of  her  disposition  carried  her  through  ceaseless  trials 
and  vexations  which  might  well  have  exhausted  her 
patience,  and  still  there  was  always  a smile  in  the 
tone  of  her  voice  which  gladdened  my  soul  like  heav- 
enly sunshine,  whenever  the  kind  fates  brought  her 
across  my  path.  Her  life  knew  no  idleness,  and  but 
little  rest  in  all  the  long  years  that  I can  remember; 
she  was  industrious,  almost  to  a fault,  in  providing 
for  the  wants  of  her  seven  daughters  and  four  sons. 
I was  the  fourth  child  born  of  that  happy  marriage, 
but  the  first  son,  and  therefore  my  position  under  the 
law  and  custom  of  primogeniture  which  then  obtained 
in  Norway  made  me  a personage  of  some  impor- 


OUT  FROM  iiiii,  DAKKMiSS. 


13 


tance.  Had  we  remained  in  Valders,  and  no  change 
come  over  the  customs  of  the  country,  the  estate  held 
by  my  father  would  upon  his  demise  have  descended 
to  me  as  my  birthright,  subject  only  to  minor  claims 
on  the  part  of  my  sisters  and  brothers.  My  earliest 
recollections  are  engrossed  with  acts  of  favoritism 
showered  upon  me  by  my  grandfather,  who  loved 
in  that  way  to  distinguish  the  first  boy,  his  lineal 
male  descendant  and  namesake,  successor  to  the 
paternal  acres  and  to  numberless  traditions  of  the 
greatness  and  honor  which  in  the  earlier  centuries  of 
the  Christian  era  belonged  to  the  fighting  race  of 
sailors  and  navigators  from  which  we  sprung.  Chil- 
dren have  quick  perceptions,  but  they  are  seldom  able 
to  divine  remote  causation;  hence,  while  immediately 
conscious  of  his  kindness  as  a special  manifestation  in 
my  favor,  I did  not  comprehend  that  my  grandfather’s 
love  for  me  was  a consequence  of  my  relation  to  the 
estate  as  heir  at  law.  I can  distinctly  recall,  however, 
that  on  many  occasions  I felt  proud  that  I was  not 
one  of  my  sisters,  a feeling  that  has  not  yet  been 
totally  eradicated. 

There  must  have  been  singular  ties  of  sympathy 
between  my  grandfather  and  myself,  although  I was 
so  young  when  I last  felt  the  pressure  of  his  hand 
upon  my  head.  My  parents  left  Valders  for  this 
country  in  1847,  when  I was  a little  more  than  three 
years  old,  and  of  course  I was  brought  with  them; 
but  his  image  is  deeply  engraved  upon  my  mind, 
and,  had  my  lingers  the  skill  to  express  the  yearnings 


14 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  my  soul,  the  picture  of  the  venerable  Norseman, 
perhaps  in  some  degree  idealized,  should  illustrate 
this  portion  of  my  reminiscences.  About  sixteen 
years  ago,  when  I was  just  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  nearly  fifteen  years  had  elapsed  since  the  last 
sounds  of  his  benediction  had  died  on  my  ears,  I 
lay  one  day  on  my  bed  in  a kind  of  waking  trance, 
as  sometimes  happens  to  me  even  now;  most  assur- 
edly I was  not  sleeping;  my  thoughts  were  pleas- 
antly turned  towards  dear  old  Norway,  and  one  by 
one  the  images  of  old  times  and  my  younger  days 
were  floating  across  my  field  of  mental  vision,  with- 
out volition  on  my  part — although  the  tender  associa- 
tions of  the  days  that  are  gone  by  forever  are  choice 
food  for  my  soul, — when  I heard  the  heavy  and 
peculiar  steps  of  that  old  man  upon  my  stairway, 
approaching  the  bedroom  door.  The  sounds  struck 
me  with  wonderful  distinctness,  and  I could  locate 
them  beyond  a peradventure,  for  in  the  era  of  my 
reign  as  his  favorite  I had  watched  and  waited  for 
the  first  tokens  of  his  accustomed  visits,  and  my 
heart  danced  then  ss  it  was  dancing  once  again. 
Nearer  and  yet  newer  came  the  home-like  and  wel- 
come, sounds;  the  door  did  not  seem  to  have  been 
opened,  but  he  was  standing  by  my  bedside,  and  in 
the  natural  sequence  of  events  I felt  the  pressure 
of  his  hand,  with  a grasp  slightly  tremulous,  more 
so  than  of  yore  — a sensation  just  as  palpable  as  was 
ever  communicated  by  one  human  being  to  another, 
yet  in  some  mysterious  degree  still  differing.  Then 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


15 


the  tones  of  his  well  remembered  voice,  softened  as 
it  might  have  been  by  age  or  distance,  filled  my  soul 
with  emotions  which  are  still  undescribable,  as  he 
said:  “I  have  come  to  bid  you  good-bye,  my  child; 
I shall  never  see  you  again.  May  God  bless  you!” 
When  the  voice  ceased  I was  as  vividly  conscious  to 
all  external  impressions  as  I am  now;  but  there  was 
no  appearance  that  could  account  for  my  mental  con- 
dition— no  touch,  no  sound  of  retreating  footsteps  — 
and  I was  alone.  There  were  no  signs  of  trepidation, 
such  as  we  are  accustomed  to  connect  with  the 
remotest  approaches  of  the  supernatural,  when  in  the 
long  evenings  our  friends  recount  the  links  by  which 
in  every  family  the  unseen  world  is  drawn  vividly 
towards  this  actual  moving  panorama.  But  I have  no 
theory,  cut  and  dried,  by  which  the  phenomena  of  my 
experience  could  be  made  plain  as  the  school-book  to 
a child;  and  I therefore  simply  state  the  fact,  as  it 
was  recorded  in  my  consciousness  at  that  moment  to 
be  retained  as  long  as  memory  holds  a seat.  I have 
tried  to  reason  the  matter  to  some  possible  conclusion, 
but  my  powers  fail  me  in  determining  whether  the 
mind  was  reached  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
senses,  by  some  process  of  which  we  are  normally 
unconscious,  or  whether,  by  some  means  just  as  full  of 
the  unknowable,  unconscious  cerebration  was  the 
spring  from  whence  the  phenomena  arose,  stimulat- 
ing the  senses  to  an  abnormal  activity,  in  which  the 
unreal  and  remote  became  tangible  and  immediate  for 
a season.  On  any  hypothesis  the  mystery  remains, 


16 


OUT  FROM  THi£  DARKNESS. 


and  I can  throw  no  new  light  upon  its  causes.  All  the 
signs  indicated  a visit  from  my  grandfather  — his  voice, 
his  footsteps,  the  pressure  of  his  hand;  and  if  his 
house  had  been  near  our  own,  as  it  was  in  Valders, 
instead  of  being  severed  from  us  by  thousands  of 
miles  of  storm-lashed  ocean,  not  to  mention  the  travel 
from  the  seaboard  to  our  new  domicile,  it  would  have 
demanded  very  powerful  testimony,  from  witnesses  ot 
known  veracity,  to  prove  that  the  dear  old  man  was 
not  present  (unless  the  absence  of  sound  and  touch, 
and  the  apparent  vacuity  of  the  room,  in  my  first  mo- 
ments of  awakening  from  the  trance,  had  suggested 
to  my  judgment  that  the  appearance  had  been  spirit- 
ual rather  than  physical);  failing  the  conclusion,  at 
which  some  of  my  friends  arrived,  that  the  phenom- 
ena arose  purely  from  delusion  of  the  senses.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  ties  of  mutual  regard  between  my 
grandfather  and  myself  must  have  been  close  and  inti- 
mate, when  my  mind  could  go  out  towards  him  in 
the  singular  manner  which  I have  endeavored  to 
describe;  but  the  most  curious  portion  of  the  story 
remains  yet  ro  be  told,  unless  the  laws  of  coincidence 
may  be  cited  to  account  for  all  that  is  wonderful  in 
our  life  on  earth.  At  about  the  moment  when  that 
interview  occurred,  it  was  afterwards  ascertained  that 
my  grandfather  had  passed  away  from  this  scene  of 
being ; and  about  two  months  later  the  information 
reached  the  family  in  due  course  of  post.  Unfortu- 
nately for  the  exactness  of  my  narrative  — and  I am 
aware  that  it  militates  against  its  scientific  value  in  no 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


17 


small  degree  — I did  not  record  the  exact  moment, 
hour  and  day  of  that  waking  trance  as  I should  have 
done.  Life  and  not  death  were  in  my  mind  at  the 
time,  notwithstanding  the  purport  of  the  solemn  mes- 
sage which  I undoubtedly  received.  One-half  of  all 
that  is  said  to  us,  when  we  seem  to  be  fully  alive  to 
every  earthly  influence,  fails  to  convey  its  true  pur- 
port to  the  mind,  until  subsequent  reflection  or  un- 
looked for  developments  have  become  interpreters. 
The  first  whisperings  of  love,  the  warnings  of  destiny 
in  a thousand  forms,  the  words  of  the  priests,  the 
monitions  of  circumstances,  the  shadows  of  coming 
events  of  which  seers  tell  us,  which  a readier  and 
more  highly  cultivated  mental  being  might  enable 
humanity  to  read  as  the  master  perceives  the  melody 
in  the  cramped  lines  on  the  pages  before  him:  are  all 
in  vain  offered  to  us  by  the  kind,  ministering,  unseen 
h inds  that  would  warn  us  on  our  way  from  the  cradle 
to  the  grave.  Many  incidents  just  as  remarkable  have 
written  themselves  into  my  eventful  life,  and  they 
stand  out  in  bold  relief  among  my  memories  of 
things,  clearly  defined  at  this  moment,  linked  more  or 
less  with  the  trance  condition;  but  I advance  no 
claims  to  be  considered  a clairvoyant,  because  it  has 
frequently  happened  that  I have  not  comprehended 
until  long  afterwards  the  significancy  of  my  vision; 
hence  it  would  be  absurd  to  vaunt  myself  as  a clair- 
voyant— as  the  French  describe,  one  who  can  see 
clearly.  I have  no  desire  to  build  theories,  but  it  is 
necessary,  for  the  faithfulness  of  my  narrative,  that  all 


IP  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

these  strange  experiences  should  be  presented  in  the 
order  of  their  occurrence,  and  the  explanations  which 
may  reduce  them  to  the  rank  of  the  ordinary  phe- 
nomena of  life  must  be  relegated  to  the  ingenuity 
and  attainments  of  my  courteous  readers. 

My  blindness  overtook  me  when  I was  only  jix 
months  old,  at  which  age  I seem  to  have  passed  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  to  have  been 
snatched  thence  only  at  the  cost  of  being  shut  in  forever, 
or  as  long  as  this  earthly  tenement  endures,  from  all  the 
physical  beauties  by  which  we  are  surrounded.  Imagi- 
nation sometimes  portrays  the  actual  in  robes  which 
may  transcend  the  loveliness  of  nature;  but  I have  no 
standard  whereby  I might  determine  what  is  true,  and 
my  ideal  is  preserved  from  rude  shocks  such  as  the  see- 
ing world  must  realize.  I have  heard  my  favored  friends 
enthusiastically  praise  some  charm  or  treasure  promised 
to  their  vision,  and  have  read  the  tones  of  their  voices 
as  they  described  their  disappointments;  in  my  case,  the 
dream  of  beauty  remains  unchallenged,  a living  entity. 
The  word-painting,  by  which  I am  dimly  permitted  to 
see  the  actual,  would  poorly  serve  my  purpose,  for  want 
of  a common  medium  between  the  seeing  world  ana 
myself,  unless  my  imagination  came  to  my  aid.  I have 
heard  of  a blind  man,  who  said  that  touching  scarlet 
cloth  reminded  him  of  the  blare  of  a trumpet;  but  that 
explanatory  statement,  to  my  mind,  makes  a volume  of 
explanation  necessary.  No  words  can  make  clear  to  me 
the  lovely  tints  of  the  simple  flower,  whose  fragrance 
and  whose  structure  I can  comprehend  through  oth^r 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


19 


senses;  but  the  deprivation  which  robs  speech  of  half 
't r excellence  will  be  atoned  for  fully  in  the  more  per- 
5*ct  communion  of  souls  toward  which  we  are  daily 
drawing  near. 

My  deprivation  occurred  after  a long  siege  of  wasting 
sickness,  which  had  reduced  my  vital  powers  to  zero.  I 
was  supposed  dead;  and,  but  for  the  custom  of  deferring 
the  funeral  for  many  days,  which  obtains  in  Norway,  I 
might  have  been  heard  of  never  more  until  the  graves 
are  opened  at  the  sound  of  the  last  trump.  Thou- 
sands of  human  beings  come  to  their  end  in  that  way, 
and  only  rouse  from  their  lethargy  to  find  that  they  are 
shrouded  in  the  cerements  of  the  tomb,  enclosed  with- 
in the  narrow  tenement  to  which  all  must  come  at 
last.  Who  has  not  heard  of,  read  of,  or  may  be 
even  seen,  the  evidences  of  mute  agony  which  are 
sometimes  revealed  when  the  opened  coffin  shows 
the  loved  sister,  brother,  husband  or  wife  to  have 
turned  around  in  the  last  resting  place,  and  to  have 
struggled  for  an  impossible  relief  ? The  thought 
is  terrible,  but  it  is  borne  in  upon  me  by  this  inci- 
dent in  my  own  career.  The  trance  condition  is  not 
more  mysterious  than  sleep  itself  — a coma  of  the 
brain  and  nervous  system,  longer  continued  than  the 
nightly  rests  to  which  we  are  accustomed,  and  wrap- 
ping the  heart  and  respiratory  organism  in  repose. 
We  are  inured  to  sleep  and  its  phenomena  in  some 
degree,  but  there  are  features  in  that  portion  of  our 
lives  which  few  have  thought  of,  and  none  have  fully 
mastered.  The  simulation  of  death,  called  trance,  in 


20 


OUT  FROM  TH*  DV'KNESS. 


which  the  spent  forces  of  body  and  soul  seek  renewal 
in  perfect  rest  for  a time,  is  a field  of  inquiry  at 
which  we  have  barely  glanced;  yet  therein  lies  many 
a loved  Lazarus  between  two  worlds,  awaiting  the 
fiat  of  the  Eternal  to  recall  him  to  this  sphere  of 
our  being. 

But  let  me  return  to  the  circumstance  of  my  sup- 
posed death.  Thirty-six  hours  elapsed  from  the  time 
of  my  apparent  demise,  as  I am  informed,  before  there 
were  any  signs  of  returning  animation.  So  settled 
was  the  conviction  that  I had  gone  to  my  final  rest, 
that  no  mirror  was  held  before  my  nostrils  to  be 
removed  undimmed  as  a proof  of  my  decease.  My 
death  was  considered  certain,  and  the  coffin  was  ten- 
anted by  me  for  more  than  a day,  my  grandmother 
performing  for  me  the  last  sad  offices,  sadly  closing  the 
eyes  which  have  never  since  opened  to  the  light  of  day. 
The  loving  fingers  which  did  for  me  that  melancholy 
task  would  gladly  have  restored  to  me  the  blessing 
of  sight,  but  to  restore  vision  to  the  blind  is  a divine 
gift  which  has  not  been  exercised  since  the  first 
days  of  the  Christian  Era.  It  seems  probable  that 
the  disease,  which  left  me  maimed  and  darkened,  had 
done  its  work  before  her  services  were  invoked,  and 
in  any  case  the  affliction  was  irremediable.  The  story 
of  my  return  to  life  has  been  told  so  often  in  my 
presence,  from  the  first  moments  to  which  memory 
will  carry  me,  that  I almost  seem  to  remember  the 
circumstances  myself.  That  is  an  admitted  impossi- 
bility, although  I certainly  can  recall  physical  appear- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


21 


ances  which  could  only  have  reached  my  brain  as  ob- 
jects of  vision  in  my  early  infancy,  seeing  that  I have 
been  blind  since  the  early  age  of  six  months.  The 
agonized  suspense  which  waited  on  my  second  birth, 
in  the  minds  of  my  parents,  it  is  impossible  for  me 
to  describe;  none  but  parental  hearts  can  fathom  the 
depths  of  tenderness  which  such  an  awakening  from 
death  to  life  must  have  called  forth,  and  to  the  imagi- 
nations of  such  of  my  readers  I must  leave  the  sub- 
ject. I have  been  told  that  as  I lay  in  the  coffin 
my  eyeballs  seemed  to  quiver  beneath  the  lids,  but 
the  eyes  were  never  opened  voluntarily,  and  for  hours 
my  friends  waited  upon  nature.  I was  removed  from 
the  narrow  bed  with  tremulous  joy,  but  it  was  a source 
of  much  anxiety  that  my  eyes  remained  closed  as 
though  the  lids  had  become  paralyzed.  At  length  the 
lids  were  raised  with  kind  solicitude,  and  then  a small 
white  spot,  no  larger  than  a pin’s  point,  was  discovered 
on  each  eyeball.  That  blemish  increased  so  rapidly 
that  within  twenty-four  hours  the  eyeballs  were  com- 
pletely covered,  and  on  the  morning  next  ensuing 
the  eyes  burst,  discharging  their  humors.  Thus  I have 
been  sightless  almost  all  my  life,  unless  there  is  a 
power,  as  1 sometimes  believe,  in  the  brain  or  soul,  by 
which  we  may  see  and  comprehend  immediately  with- 
out the  Intervention  of  organs  of  vision.  It  is  not 
possible  for  me  to  exactly  formulate  my  faith  in  this 
respect,  but  the  mere  enunciation  of  this  crude  idea 
may  call  out  the  views  of  other  and  abler  men  to 
whom  the  same  thought  must  have  occurred. 


22 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS, 


The  blind  are  not  necessarily  despondent  under  their 
deprivation,  for  nature  abounds  in  compensations,  as 
various  as  the  changing  conditions  of  mankind.  We 
are  comforted  by  tones  of  sympathy,  oftentimes  more 
precious  than  sight,  when  those  who  express  their 
kindly  regard  are  thoughtful  enough  to  avoid  an  ap- 
pearance of  patronizing  us  in  our  affliction.  Kind 
voices  reach  us  at  brief  intervals  from  out  of  the 
darkness,  and  loving  hands  are  stretched  forth  to  help 
us  everywhere;  but  there  have  been  times  when  I 
could  almost  endorse  the  sayings  of  a quaint  friend, 
who  expressed  his  regret  that  the  expenditure  incur- 
red for  my  tiny  coffin  should  have  been  made  in  vain. 
Certainly  we  have  come  to  a country  where  expend- 
itures are  much  more  lavish  than  in  frugal  Norway, 
and  my  dimensions  are  much  greater  than  they  were ; 
but  I trust  that,  all  things  considered,  there  are  no  rea- 
sons why  I should  be  other  than  thankful  *or  my 
preservation  from  being  buried  alive  I would  not 
have  it  imagined  for  one  moment  that  I am  unmind- 
ful of  the  blessings  which  our  Father  has  permitted 
me  to  enjoy.  The  mind  of  man  is  many-sided,  and 
every  facet  receives  light  from  heaven  or  earth,  out  of 
which  happiness  in  some  degree  may  come.  Every 
tnought  in  the  busy,  teeming  brain ; every  fact  presented 
to  us  for  acceptance  from  out  of  the  laboratory  of  nature, 
extending  our  knowledge  of  the  materia)  universe; 
every  additional  evidence  of  man's  goodness  vouch- 
safed in  the  struggle  for  life,  wherein  it  is  our 
privilege  to  lend  some  aid  of’  greater  or  less  value  to 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


23 


our  fellow-men;  every  proof  of  the  advancing  intelli- 
gence of  the  race,  and  above  all  else,  every  new  in- 
dustrial pursuit  brought  within  the  compass  of  our 
faculties,  by  which  they  may  attain  a riper  develop- 
ment in  the  service  of  humanity  and  in  the  better 
protection  of  our  families  and  ourselves  from  the  ap- 
proach of  want  and  suffering:  are  contributions  to 
our  pleasures  of  no  mean  order.  Our  joys  are,  in  a 
great  measure,  proportioned  to  our  fitness  and  energy 
in  the  discharge  of  the  multifarious  duties  of  life;  and 
within  the  current  century  there  have  been  wonderful 
advances  made  in  the  instruction  of  the  blind ; — an  item 
of  large  importance  to  the  nation,  seeing  that  the  num- 
bers enduring  the  affliction  of  partial  or  utter  dark- 
ness and  isolation  in  this  respect  average  about  one 
in  two  thousand  in  the  United  States.  The  gainful 
employ n en  of  so  gieat  an  aggregate  is  of  vast  im- 
portance to  the  community. 

There  is  an  idea  in  many  well  informed  minds  that 
the  blind  are  cooped  up  in  perpetual  and  complete 
darkness,  and  some  of  my  own  expressions  have  that 
bearing  when  I consider  them  critically;  yet  nothing 
could  be  further  from  the  truth  than  that  impression. 
Egyptian  darkness,  such  as  may  be  felt,  does  appar- 
ently wall  in  and  entomb  some  few  sufferers,  bearing 
them  down  body  and  soul  with  a terrible  sadness,  which 
we  must  hope  will  find  its  complement  of  joy  in 
realms  beyond  the  grave;  but  in  my  own  case,  al- 
though there  is  a complete  annihilation  of  the  organs 
of  vision,  I seem  to  live  in  unvarying  brightness.  I 


24 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS, 


cannot  pretend  to  bay  under  what  optical  law  tins 
peculiarity  arises,  but  the  fact  is  just  as  I have  stated, 
and  some  of  the  savans  among  my  numerous  friends 
may  be  able  to  help  us  out  with  a theory.  Explana- 
tions have  been  frequently  volunteered,  but  none  of 
them,  so  far,  have  completely  covered  the  ground. 
One  attempt  at  an  interpretation  of  the  phenomena, 
which  comes  nearest  to  a solution  to  my  mind,  was 
recently  offered  by  an  ingenious  friend.  He  says  that, 
inasmuch  as  my  supposed  death  and  actual  blindness 
fell  upon  me  during  the  daytime,  in  our  bright  Nor- 
wegian climate,  where  the  air  is  brilliant  and  clear,  and 
the  ground,  even  during  winter,  covered  with  virgin 
snow,  undimmed  by  traffic  and  the  smoke  of  great 
cities,  the  brilliant  whiteness  of  that  light  must  have 
impressed  upon  my  retina  just  that  strong  sense  of 
day  which  has  lived  in  my  optical  memory  from 
that  moment  until  now.  His  suggestion  would  make 
what  is  to  me  a physical  condition  dependent  upon 
memory,  and  it  may  be  that  he  is  right,  but  I wait 
for  evidence.  Memory,  then,  or  some  physical  con- 
dition, or  possibly  both  combined  (for  no  man  has 
yet  clearly  defined  to  my  satisfaction  in  what  man- 
ner memory  does  its  WJrk,  so  that  the  distant  past 
can  be  recalled  in  many  cases  more  vividly  than 
the  affairs  of  yesterday),  have  aided  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  this  luminous  appearance,  which  never  fails 
me  in  my  waking  hours  by  day  or  night.  My  ear- 
liest remembiances  are  permeated  with  that  conscious- 
ness ot  light,  and  to  that  fact,  rightfully  or  not,  I 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS, 


25 


attribute  the  cheerfulness  and  constancy  with  which 
I have  been  enabled  to‘  endure  and  sometimes  conquer 
severe  reverses.  It  would  be  to  me  a source  of 
much  pleasure  could  some  of  my  more  learned  read- 
ers supplement  my  narrative  with  a lucid  interpre- 
tation of  the  circumstances  which  it  is*  my  duty  to 
chronicle.  The  humblest  human  being,  who  will 
truthfully  record  exceptional  facts,  can  contribute  some 
few  grains  of  sand  toward  the  mountain  of  knowl- 
edge from  which  the  masters  of  science,  philosophy 
and  religion  may  unfold  the  laws  of  being.  I have 
striven  honestly  to  do  all  that  devolves  upon  me  in 
the  premises,  in  my  exceptional  condition. 

The  childish  reminiscences  which  were  at  one  time 
of  grave  importance  to  myself,  have  sunken  into  in- 
significance when  viewed  through  the  media  of  ad- 
vancing years,  and  I shall  not  allow  them  to  bur- 
then these  pages,  unless  in  the  few  instances  where 
they  point  toward  important  epochs  in  my  career.  I 
distinctly  remember  that  in  my  third  year  my  pa- 
rents were  engaged  in  preparations  to  emigrate  to 
this  country,  and  the  even  tenor  of  my  young  life 
seemed  to  have  been  broken  adrift  from  all  moor- 
ings, with  the  unsettling  of  our  former  condition.  It 
may  be  that  some  of  the  incidents  of  that  time, 
which  seem  to  date  from  actual  observation  of  oc- 
currences, as  they  transpired,  were  actually  impressed 
upon  my  mind  by  subsequent  narrations  and  remind- 
ers which,  when  we  attempt  to  carry  ourselves  back 
toward  childhood,  surround  every  fact  with  misty 


26 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


uncertainty,  or  with  seeming  certainties,  which  reason 
assures  us  must  be  ofttimes  fabulous.  Voyages  across 
the  Atlantic,  which  had  few  terrors  for  my  remote 
ancestors,  had  become  much  more  formidable  with 
advancing  civilization  to  the  Norsemen  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Higher  standards  of  comfort  at  home 
and  better  estimates  of  the  value  of  time  had  much 
to  do  with  the  changed  condition.  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  convince  me  that  there  has  been  any  falling 
off  in  the  courage  of  the  Scandinavian  races,  or  in 
their  peculiar  fitness  to  encounter  the  perils  of  the 
ocean. 

In  the  year  1847,  rapid  sai^ng  and  steaming  were 
in  their  infancy;  clipper  ships  were  only  dreamed  of 
by  a few  men,  and  the  working  out  of  the  idea  waited 
for  such  events  as  the  discoveries  of  gold  in  Califor- 
nia, and  still  later  in  Australia,  to  make  extraordi- 
narily expeditious  voyages  an  object.  The  mod- 
ern improvements  which  have  made  the  ocean  a 
most  convenient  highway,  such  as  our  ancestors,  Vik- 
ings though  they  were,  could  not  foresee,  had  not 
yet  begun  to  affect  navigation  from  Norwegian  ports 
in  any  material  degree;  and  our  transit  from  Europe 
to  America  was  terribly  slow,  estimated  according  to 
the  calculations  of  to-day.  I suppose  that  my  health 
was  not  very  good  on  board  ship,  and  my  younger 
brother  died;  but  whether  this  arose  from  constitu- 
tional weakness,  an  unsuitable  dietary  scale,  or  defec- 
tive ventilation,  this  deponent  sayeth  not.  It  must 
be  patent  to  all  observers  that  the  deaths  of  chil- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


27 


dren  indicate  some  infraction  of  nature’s  laws  more 
significantly,  by  far,  than  deaths  in  advancing  age.  As 
a rule,  on  ship-board,  when  the  vessels  are  well  con- 
structed and  well  handled,  “ the  toddlin’,  wee  things  ” 
that  can  keep  the  deck  are  better  able  to  weather 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  voyage  than  the  old  people. 

It  was  no  easy  thing,  even  to  get  started  on  our 
way;  passengers  in  sailing  vessels  were  comparatively 
uncommon;  they  have  since  entered  largely  into  the 
calculations  of  shipmasters;  but  we  were  detained  at 
Dramman  no  less  than  three  weeks,  before  we  could 
procure  a passage  in  a vessel  bound  for  a port  from 
which  our  final  departure  for  this  country  could  be  ar- 
ranged. At  Hamburg,  our  little  family  was  detained 
five  weeks.  Travelers  who  seek  pleasure  in  a lux- 
urious transit  from  one  country  to  another,  content 
to  kill  time  with  sport,  or  to  be  toted  around  in 
search  of  curiosities,  expending  competencies  for  which 
others  have  toiled,  may  have  some  difficulty  in  com- 
prehending the  hardships  to  which  my  parents  were 
subjected  by  that  detention  — adrift,  as  it  were,  be- 
tween two  continents,  losing  sight  of  the  ancient  land- 
marks, and  yet  uncertain  as  to  the  new  home  toward 
which  we  had  set  our  faces.  We  were  pioneers  in 
a new  course,  having  been  the  first  party  of  emi- 
grants for  America  that  ever  in  our  day  had  left 
the  farming  district  of  V alders;  hence  the  delays  to 
which  we  were  subjected,  with  all  the  attendant 
losses,  were  quite  natural.  Our  experiences,  hard 
and  unsatisfactory  as  they  were,  may  have  helped 


28 


OUT  FROM  TIKE  DARKNESS. 


to  smooth  the  way  for  thousands  who  have  since  fol- 
lowed us  across  the  trackless  deep;  but  that  consid- 
eration does  not  seem  to  have  presented  itself  to  my 
father  as  a possibility,  and  if  it  had  he  would  still 
have  been  inconvenienced  in  no  small  degree  by  the 
discomforts  and  the  cost  incidental  to  such  long  wait- 
ing. Steam  voyages  across  the  Atlantic  are  now 
often  accomplished  in  less  than  as  many  days  as 
we  occupied  weeks  in  the  sailing  vessel,  and 
still  we  were  expeditious,  by  comparison  with  the 
first  Norsemen  that  visited  this  continent  centuries 
before  Columbus  brought  modern  civilization  to  its 
shores. 

I should  be  far  less  Scandinavian  than  I am, 
and  much  less  sensitive  to  the  claims  of  his- 
toric truth,  could  I omit,  on  any  suitable  occasion, 
to  assert  the  prior  discovery  and  temporary  coloniza- 
tion of  this  vast  country  by  the  Norsemen  in  the 
eleventh  century.  The  facts  are  open  to  every 
student,  and  Longfellow  has  presented  some  of  the 
incidents  of  that  eventful  time,  begemmed  with  the 
jewels  of  his  imagination,  in  deathless  verse;  but  I 
must  remember  ‘that  a child  of  three  years,  rocked 
by  the  billows  of  earth’s  stormiest  ocean,  is  not 
expected  to  wax  eloquent  in  defining  the  labors  of 
Leif  Eriksson,  so  for  the  present  the  laurels  of 
Columbus  shall  rest  undisturbed  while  we  complete 
our  transit  from  the  old  world  to  the  new. 

By  the  way,  there  was  one  incident  connected 
with  our  detention  at  Dramman  which  it  would  be 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


29 


wrong  to  pass  without  comment,  as  it  serves  to  in- 
dicate a condition  of  mind  which  then  existed  among 
the  so-called  educated  class  in  Norway,  but  which 
is  probably  now  lost  sight  of  by  modern  thinkers. 
1 allude  to  the  sturdy  opposition  and  manifest  alarm 
with  which  the  clergy  of  my  native  land  met  the 
slowly  rising  tide  of  emigration.  No  sooner  was 
it  known  in  the  neighborhood  that  my  father  meant 
to  abandon  the  place  of  his  nativity,  than  he  was 
} beset  by  the  slow-moving,  conservative  element  in 
his  own  class,  with  warnings  urgent  and  innumer- 
able against  the  rash  step  which  he  contemplated. 
Chimeras  dire  were  hurled  at  his  devoted  head  with- 
out ceasing.  The  young  man  who  carried  a banner 
with  a quaint  device,  and  said  “ Excelsior  ” when  well- 
meaning  people  troubled  him  with  their  counsel,  had 
an  easy  time  compared  with  the  plague  of  remon- 
strance that  was  endured  by  the  first  emigrants  from 
Valders,  and  the  fact  that  all  the  warnings  were  given 
in  kindness  rendered  the  task  of  replying  more  difficult. 
As  the  time  for  departure  drew  near,  the  members 
of  the  congregation  to  which  my  father  belonged 
devolved  upon  their  pastor  the  task  of  convincing 
my  father  that  it  was  a sin  to  remove  lfis  family  from 
the  Christianizing  influences  of  Norwegian  life,  and 
to  carry  them  away  to  a heathen  and  barbarous 
land.  With  many  prayers  and  arduous  study,  the 
good  old  man  fitted  himself  for  the  momentous 
struggle  in  which  he  was  to  engage,  and,  while  we 
waited  for  sailing  orders  at  Dramman,  the  amiable 


30 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


controversialist  came  down  upon  us,  with  the  earnest- 
ness, though  not  with  tl\e  fell  intent,  with  which 
“ The  Assyrians  came  down  like  a wolf  on  the 
fold.”  Nearly  all  the  old  neighbors  were  on  hand 
when  the  exhortation  commenced,  and  the  horrors 
of  the  jungle  in  India  were  freely  used  to  people 
this  country  with  wild  beasts,  so  that  there  seemed 
to  be  no  option  for  the  emigrant,  in  the  description 
that  was  given,  but  to  die  of  storm  and  famine  on 
the  voyage,  of  fever  and  ague  or  some  other  malarial 
disease  on  the  strange  shore,  or  to  be  eaten  alive 
by  nameless  monsters  that  held  an  unquestioned  reign 
in  the  dense  forests  of  this  continent.  The  oracle 
spake,  and,  when  his  lips  had  closed,  silence  fell 
upon  the  little  assembly.  My  father  could  not  at- 
tempt to  controvert  the  statements  by  which  the  other 
auditors  had  been  overwhelmed,  but  he  was  not  con- 
vinced that  the  Merciful  Creator  by  whom  he  had 
been  girt  about  with  love  in  his  old  home  would 
fail  to  protect  him  and  his  in  the  new.  His  pur- 
pose was  usa  shaken,  but  he  was  puzzled  to  render 
his  determination  into  words,  without  failing  in  the 
courtesy  that  was  due  to  one  whose  blameless  life 
and  loving  intent  made  his  long  recognized  author- 
ity almost  omnipotent. 

“Are  the  diseases  always  fatal  there?”  queried 
my  father.  “Almost  always,”  was  the  answer;  and 
an  unconditional  surrender  was  considered  inevitable. 

“Do  the  people  die  more  than  once?”  There 
was  no  response  from  the  dear  old  pastor,  who  had 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


31 


never  dreamed  of  such  a question,  and,  while  the 
neighbors  laughed  uproariously  at  the  strange  sug- 
gestion, the  dominie  retired  to  another  room  to  fight 
the  battle  over  again  in  his  own  mind. 

Since  that  day  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Scandi- 
navians have  made  their  homes  in  America;  pastors 
and  their  flocks  have  crossed  the  seas  together;  in- 
numerable churches  have  been  built  to  Almighty  God 
by  Norsemen,  from  Maine  to  the  Golden  Gate,  and 
experience  has  proved  that,  with  care  and  foresight, 
disease  and  famine  can  be  warded  off  as  well  in  the 
new  world  as  in  the  old,  while  the  savage  beasts,  by 
which  the  early  emigrants  were  to  have  been  intimi- 
dated withal,  are  distanced  in  cruelty  and  hate  by 
man  himself  in  the  very  centres  of  civilization  on 
either  continent. 

The  Blue  Peter  at  the  fore,  the  signal  for  sailing 
came  at  last.  Dramman  was  left  behind  us  with 
many  a heart-breaking  sob,  and  we  looked  out  upon 
the  immeasurable  deep.  The  reflections  of  the  old 
people  have  been  recounted  so  often  in  my  presence, 
from  that  day  to  this,  that  it  almost  seems  as  though 
I had  passed  through  all  the  emotions  and  had  seen 
all  the  sights  which  they  realized.  Hamburg  was 
an  unknown  land  to  me  when  we  left,  as  on  our 
day  of  landing;  but,  looking  back  from  to-day, 
it  seems  as  though  the  busy  streets  were  quite  famil- 
iar to  my  sight.  I can  recall  the  bustling  quays 
and  wharves,  the  Bourse,  the  Botanical  and  Zoological 
Gardens,  just  as  clearly  as  though  standing  on  Elbe 


32 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


Hill  I had  literally  seen  them0  The  old  city,  more 
than  a thousand  years  old,  probably  having  its  origin 
in  one  of  the  fortresses  built  by  Charlemagne  to 
repel  the  nomadic  tribes  and  give  fixity  to  European 
society,  has  taken  a new  lease  of  life  in  our  day,  under 
the  aegis  of  steam  and  rapid  transit,  and  bids  fair 
to  eclipse  its  Hanseatic  greatness  completely.  But 
there  is  an  end  to  everything,  and  so  at  last  we  bade 
adieu  to  Hamburg,  where  we  had  stayed  long  enough 
to  form  many  enduring  friendships. 

Traveling  by  land  is  relieved  by  an  almost  infinite 
variety  in  the  prospect,  but  the  ever-changing  sea 
presents  a sameness  which  only  the  poetic  soul  can 
fill  with  a sufficing  joy.  True  enough,  there  may 
be  no  two  billows  precisely  alike,  but  the  family 
resemblance  strikes  every  beholder,  and,  when  day 
after  day  you  look  out  upon  seven  miles  of  sea 
with  a circumference  of  firmament  coming  down  to 
embrace  it  on  every  hand,  it  is  impossible  to  avoid 
praying  for  a change.  No  wonder  the  ignorant 
mariners  that  sailed  under  Christopher  Columbus 
grew  weary  of  their  voyage  into  the  unknown,  and 
became  mutinous.  They  had  no  chance  of  excite- 
ment from  the  cry,  “ A Sail ! A Sail ! ” as  we  had ; 
no  other  keels  but  theirs  had  plowed  the  waters 
where  they  stood  for  four  hundred  years,  and  the 
canvas  pendent  from  a strange  mast  would  have 
been  a cause  for  terror,  unless  the  size  of  the  craft 
permitted  a hope  of  conquest.  Passing  vessels  were 
not  very  numerous  in  our  time,  until  we  drew  nigh 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


33 


our  destination;  but  I can  remember  more  than  once 
the  hurry  that  there  was  at  sea  when  the  chance 
offered  to  send  back  a few  words  of  greeting  to 
the  dear  old  home.  Those  who  were  not  writing 
crowded  to  the  ship’s  side,  as  though  every  line  in 
the  strange  hull  was  dear  to  their  hearts,  and,  when 
the  boat  was  lowered  from  the  davits  to  carry  the 
mail  bag  to  the  other  ship,  and  effect  some  ex- 
changes in  provisions,  every  sailor  that  manned  an 
oar  seemed  to  deserve  the  homage  of  those  he  left 
behind,  because  he  was  facing  a peril  of  death  to 
stretch  out  a hand  to  our  friends  in  Norway. 

Quebec  was  our  desired  haven,  but  before  we 
touched  that  port  the  news  had  reached  Valders 
that  we  had  foundered  at  sea,  all  hands  perishing, 
and  my  father,  the  last  survivor,  making  a manful 
recantation  of  his  heresy  in  leaving  Norway  in  op- 
position to  the  advice  of  his  pastor.  The  com- 
pleteness of  the  narrative  might  have  suggested  its 
fabulous  character,  but  my  grandfather,  never  doubt- 
ing the  tale,  became  delirious  with  grief.  In  his 
rhapsodies  of  sorrow,  the  fond  old  man  would  hold 
converse  with  'his  lost  ones,  as  we  arose  weird  and 
ghost-like  from  the  briny  bed  to  which  lying  rumor 
had  consigned  us;  and  when,  months  later,  the 
fact  of  our  safe  arrival  at  our  destination  reached 
him  through  the  mail,  it  required  much  persuasion, 
besides  the  testimony  of  the  well  remembered  writ- 
ing, to  combat  the  effects  of  his  long  continued 
phantasy. 

3 


34 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

Arrived  at  Quebec,  we  made  our  way  through 
Montreal  to  Buffalo  without  noticeable  incidents,  and 
we  there  took  passage  by  steamer  to  Milwaukee.  I 
suppose  my  puny  appearance  attracted  some  atten- 
tion on  the  boat,  as  I can  recall  the  wistful  looks 
with  which  kind  eyes  regarded  me.  The  dietary 
provision  made  in  Valders  for  our  passage  across 
the  Atlantic  was  not  well  'calculated  to  sustain  a 
weakly  child,  and  my  ailing  appearance  was  largely 
due  to  that  circumstance.  Perhaps  that  possibility 
was  divined  by  the  head  steward  of  the  steamer, 
and  his  kind  heart,  yearning  for  some  child  that 
he  had  loved  and  lost,  found  comfort  in  showing 
attention  to  the  writer.  Certain  it  is  that  I was 
made  free  of  the  steward’s  pantry,  with  all  the 

hereditaments  thereto  belonging,  and,  while  I 
reveled  in  sweets  and  cloying  delicacies  which 

would  have  afflicted  one-half  the  grown  people  on 

board  with  nausea,  I was  the  envy  of  every  child. 
These  lines  may  never  meet  the  eyes  of  my  un- 
known benefactor,  who  has  probably  joined  the  in- 
numerable caravan  many  years  ago;  even  though 
alive,  the  good  man  may  not  have  thought  of  his 
kindly  acts  in  any  such  way  as  they  affected  me, 

for  generous  natures  forget  the  services  they  render 
just  as  readily  as  the  stream  loses  track  of  the 
shadow  which  was  mirrored  in  its  depths;  but 
somehow  I could  not  refer  even  cursorily  to  that 
brief  voyage  on  the  lakes  without  mentioning  my 
sense  of  the  loving  kindness  which  was  bestowed 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


35 


upon  me,  unless  I would  stand  self-accused  of  black 
ingratitude. 

Col.  Solomon  Juneau,  a French  fur  trader,  gen- 
erous to  a fault,  was  the  first  white  settler  in 
Milwaukee,  and  when  our  family  landed  in  that 
city  he  was  the  richest  and  most  influential  man 
in  that  locality.  The  site  of  Milwaukee  was  oc- 
cupied by  a Pottawatomie  village  at  the  time  when 
the  adventurous  trader  took  up  his  abode  in  what 
is  now  called  the  Cream  City.  He  had  been  a 
resident  there  twenty-two  years  when  my  fathei' 
landed  in  Wisconsin,  in  1847,  an<^  the  population 
was  over  ten  thousand,  rapidly  increasing.  The 
lake  bluff,  and  the  lands  rising  from  the  river 
quite  abruptly  in  many  parts,  were  not  occupied, 
and  nearly  the  whole  population  had  located  itself 
on  the  swampy  lowlands,  where  business  is  still 
largely  transacted.  The  Colonel,  who  was  Mayor, 
proprietor  of  much  of  the  city  lands,  and  a flour- 
ishing storekeeper,  offered  many  advantages  to  my 
father  to  induce  him  to  stay  where  he  was,  but  my 
progenitor  had  an  abiding  sense  of  the  value  of 
health,  and  to  all  the  suggestions  of  his  generous 
friend  he  replied,  “ If  I can  find  nothing  better 
than  a swamp  in  this  country,  I will  go  back 
to  Norway,  where  at  all  events  we  are  solid.” 
The  site  of  Milwaukee  has  been  the  home  of  many 
races  at  various  times.  The  Pottawatomies  had  a 
village  there  when  the  first  official  record  was  made 


36 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


as  to  the  river  and  harbor  in  1817,  and  the  inef- 
faceable records  of  the  Mound  Builders,  which  may 
date  from  thousands  of  years  before,  are  on  hand 
in  many  directions  to  show  that  an  industrious  and 
partly  civilized  people  with  some  knowledge  of 
manufactures  and  art  continued  for  a long  term  of 
centuries  to  enjoy  life  upon  the  margins  of  its  lake 
and  streams. 

Some  curious  ideas  as  to  popular  government  were 
begotten  in  my  father’s  mind,  during  the  stay  that 
we  made  in  Milwaukee.  There  was  an  election  to 
some  office,  local  or  general,  and  Col.  Juneau’s  store 
was,  as  usual,  the  headquarters  of  the  winning  party. 
There  was  no  lack  of  stirring  eloquence,  for  the 
tongues  of  some  men  will  wag  as  long  as  the  river 
flows;  but  the  main  reliance  of  the  astute  Solomon 
was  placed  on  a barrel  of  whisky,  which  stood  near 
the  entrance  to  the  store.  Voters  were  expected  to 
help  themselves  to  as  much  as  they  cared  for  of 
the  contents  of  the  barrel,  and  then,  as  the  spirit  of 
the  occasion  entered  into  them,  they  saw  their  way 
to  deposit  their  ballots  in  favor  of  the  Colonel  and 
his  friends.  The  barrel  was  certainly  on  the  win- 
ning side,  but  my  father  did  not  admire  the  process. 
There  were  other  ways  besides  handling  the  barrel 
in  which  Juneau  was  always  to  be  reckoned  upon,  for 
he  never  failed  to  respond  in  a liberal  manner  to  any 
proposal  which  had  for  its  purpose  the  improvement 
of  Milwaukee.  None  of  the  old  residents  ever  men- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


37 


tioned  him  without  recognizing  the  generosity  of  his 
nature,  but  for  which  he  might  have  become  a million- 
aire. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  inducements  held  out  by  the 
Colonel,  my  father  resolved  to  continue  a farmer,  and, 
after  many  slips,  succeeded  in  purchasing  about  two 
hundred  acres  of  excellent  land  at  Oakland,  in  Jeff- 
erson County,  seventy  miles  west  from  Milwaukee,  to 
which  place  we  traveled  on  a team,  over  roads  which 
reminded  us  continually  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  exist- 
ence. Upon  the  newly  purchased  land  was  a make- 
shift dwelling,  and  a well,  around  and  over  which 
was  no  fence  nor  screen  to  prevent  accidents.  Prov- 
idence, in  blessing  me  with  an  inquiring  mind,  has, 
on  many  occasions,  led  me  to  the  very  verge  of  great 
disasters;  but  always  hitherto  some  circumstance  has 
intervened  in  my  favor,  so  that  I have  escaped  the 
worst  consequences  which  seemed  for  a time  inevit- 
able. That  unfenced  well  was  jealously  guarded  by 
my  father  and  friends,  as  long  as  they  were  around, 
and  words  of  caution  were  strewn  around  me  as  thick 
as  leaves  in  Vallambrosa;  but  the  only  result  was  that 
I grew  more  and  more  impatient  to  pursue  knowl- 
edge under  difficulties.  One  day  my  father  was 
absent,  and  my  mother  so  busy  in  household  matters 
that  I was  for  a time  forgotten,  so  that  the  chances  fa- 
vored an  exploration.  The  well  was  speedily  reached, 
and  the  rude  windlass,  which  had  often  inflamed  my 
curiosity,  was  hastily  overhauled.  I was  congratulating 
myself  on  an  undreamed-of  sagacity,  which  could  touch 


38 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


pitch,  handle  fire  and  hang  over  a well  without  risk, 
when  the  bucket  unshipped  from  its  resting-place, 
ran  down  with  a crash,  and  I followed  it  head- fore- 
most, forty  feet  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Luck- 
ily the  water  in  the  well  was  deep  enough  to  pro- 
tect my  cervical  vertebrae,  and  after  sprawling  around 
a few  seconds  I found  my  way  to  the  coping  of 
the  stone  work,  about  six  inches  above  high-water 
mark,  where  I could  sit,  half  dazed  but  secure,  until 
help  arrived.  Truth  lies  in  the  bottom  of  a well,  and 
I was  very  near  the  place;  but  it  was  not  until  long 
afterwards  that  I thought  of  our  near  contact,  and 
about  the  same  time  it  occurred  to  me  as  regret- 
able  that  truth  should  lie  anywhere.  An  hour  must 
have  elapsed,  when  some  neighbor,  coming  to  draw 
water,  discovered  me  on  my  modest  perch,  and  her 
cries  speedily  attracted  every  woman  in  the  locality, 
my  good,  mother  among  the  rest.  The  first  impulse 
of  maternity  was  to  share  the  trouble  which  she  could 
not  alleviate,  and  it  required  the  combined  strength 
of  all  her  friends  to  prevent  the  dear  soul  throw- 
ing herself  down  into  the  water  to  sustain  me  until 
more  serviceable  help  should  come.  Happily  her 
design  was  frustrated,  or  I should  almost  certainly 
have  been  made  an  orphan.  After  a prolonged 
delay,  which  seemed  an  age,  and  was  possibly  an 
hour  after  my  discovery  in  the  well,  a male  neighbor 
was  found,  who  was  able  and  willing  to  descend 
to  my  rescue;  and  the  rope,  securely  fastened  about 
my  waist  and  shoulders,  brought  me  to  the  surface 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


39 


of  the  green  earth  again.  That  I had  sustained 
some  severe  if  not  fatal  fracture  was  a matter  fully 
determined  among  the  neighbors,  but  my  mother,  find- 
ing me  inclined  to  sleep,  left  me  to  the  influence  of 
tired  nature’s  sweet  restorer;  and  for  nearly  eighteen 
hours  after  my  restoration  to  the  paternal  sod  I 
slept  the  sleep  of  the  just.  When  Morpheus  at 
last  abdicated  his  empire  over  me,  I was  hungry 
enough  to  have  eaten  the  fatted  calf,  and,  failing  to 
obtain  just  such  sustenance,  my  appetite  has  ever 
been  a standing  menace  to  my  friends,  although 
they  have  fenced  their  wells  about  ever  since  securely. 

From  the  time  named  until  I was  eleven  years 
old,  the  days  hung  heavily  upon  my  hands,  as  my 
deprivation  of  sight  cut  me  off  from  such  tuition 
and  work  as  other  children  of  similar  ages  could 
avail  themselves  of,  and  in  the  thinly  settled  neighbor- 
hood where  we  lived  there  were  no  little  companions 
to  join  me  in  boyish  games.  Only  children,  and 
the  very,  very  few  grown  people  who  can  remem- 
ber when  they  were  children,  have  an  idea  how 
much  of  solace  there  is  in  mud  pies  and  such  Like 
amusements  for  the  youthful  intellect,  and  the  mud- 
pie-ist  wants  an  audience,  just  as  inexorably  as  the 
orator.  My  only  refuge  under  the  circumstances 
named  was  my  dear  sister  Rachel,  several  years  my 
senior,  who  constituted  herself  my  guardian,  and,  so 
far  as  the  differences  in  age  would  allow,  entered 
into  my  pursuits.  Advancing  years  have  erased 
many  things  from  my  memory,  which  were  at  one 


40 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


lime  stamped  there,  as  I bcdieved  to  last  for  ever,  but 
the  maturity  of  my  faculties  has  only  made  more  clear 
to  me  the  debt  of  gratitude  I owe  to  Rachel  for 
her  tender  solicitude,  and  I cannot  imagine  that  any 
lapse  of  time  will  cause  me  to  forget  my  obliga- 
tion. 

I would  gladly  have  attended  the  district  school, 
but  the  distance  from  our  house  was  an  obstacle, 
two  miles  and  a half  being  a weary  pilgrimage  for 
a blind  child  to  attempt  alone,  twice  every  day, 
more  especially  when  it  is  remembered  that  com- 
panionship was  all  I could  obtain  as  the  result  of  my 
travel.  The  teachers  had  no  means  at  their  dis- 
posal, nor  any  skill  generally,  which  would  adapt 
them  for  the  schooling  of  a blind  boy;  and,  unfor- 
tunately for  my  welcome,  on  the  few  occasions  on 
which  I visited  the  establishment  my  presence  and 
peculiar  condition  called  off  the  attention  of  the 
pupils  generally  from  their  studies.  Could  I have 
spoken  English,  oral  instruction  would  have  been 
possible  to  some  extent,  but  that  language  was  then 
as  dead  to  me  as  Sanskrit  is  now.  From  all  these 
considerations  it  will  be  seen  that  my  circle  of  life 
was  narrow  in  the  extreme,  and  my  chances  for  im- 
provement small.  At  home,  where  all  that  the  exigen- 
cies of  a new  settler’s  life  would  allow  was  gladly 
attempted  on  my  behalf,  my  feelings  were  lacerated 
by  almost  every  visitor  commiserating  my  parents 
on  the  burden  which  they  had  to  carry  in  the  person 
of  their  sightless  son.  The  barbed  arrows  of  their 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


41 


,?ell  intended  sympathy  rankled  in  new  wounds  for 
/nany  years,  and  added  incalculably  to  my  suffering. 
There  are  but  few  men  and  women  who  under- 
stand how  quickly  a little  child  can  grasp  the  mean- 
ing of  a word  half  spoken,  and  apply  to  his  own 
condition  the  seamy  side  of  thek*  very  natural  re- 
flections; yet  their  own  memories  might  help  almost 
every  one,  in  some  degree,  to  master  the  idea,  if 
nature  had  not  provided,  in  mercy  to  the  race,  for 
a speedy  forgetfulness  of  all  painful  experiences. 
Where  there  are  peculiar  conditions  of  suffering,  as 
in  the  blind,  the  feelings  become  more  acutely,  even 
morbidly  sensitive,  as  in  my  own  case.  I could 
not  close  my  ears  against  the  talk,  in  which  I was 
too  often  the  subject,  and  molten  lead  could  hardly 
have  been  more  agonizing  than  some  of  the  sentences 
uttered  by  good  people  who  never  dreamed  that 
they  were  inflicting  unmerited  punishment.  The 
sorrows  of  that  day  might  have  gone  with  me  to 
my  grave,  however,  but  for  the  possibility  that  those 
few  words,  kindly  spoken,  may  save  some  other 
tiny  sufferer,  blind  or  crippled  in  some  other  way, 
from  being  wounded  in  the  house  of  his  friends  by 
ill  considered  speech.  In  that  spirit  I leave  the 
subject  thus  introduced  to  be  elaborated  by  the  in- 
genious minds  of  my  cultivated  readers. 

Relief  was  long  coming,  but  it  came  at  last.  A 
friendly  neighbor,  since  dead,  Mr.  Gideon  Ives,  a 
man  of  more  than  average  intelligence,  and  almost 
unbounded  kindness,  whose  name  was  a household 


42 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


word  in  .our  Scandinavian  settlement,  repeatedly 
urged  my  parents  to  send  me  to  the  Collegiate  In- 
stitution for  the  Blind,  at  Janesville,  Wisconsin. 
Old  Joe  Willett , proprietor  of  the  Maypole,  in 
Dickens’  novel,  Barnaby  Rudge,  hated  to  come  upon 
the  county  to  repair  the  damages  inflicted  by  the 
No-Popery  mob,  because  there  was,  he  thought,  a 
savor  of  pauperism  in  the  process,  as  though  he 
came  upon  the  Parish  under  the  Poor  Law;  and 
just  such  an  idea  so  entirely  possessed  the  mind 
of  my  father,  that  every  reference  to  the  In- 
stitution was  frowned  down  for  nearly  two  years. 
Mr.  Ives  would  not  be  silenced,  because  he  saw  in 
education  my  only  chance  for  development  into  use- 
fulness. I was  nine  years  old  when  the  idea  was 
first  broached,  and  eleven  when  it  was  carried  into 
operation,  the  interval  being  necessary  to  overcome 
the  scruples  of  my  parents.  They  had  been  told 
that  children  were  half  starved  and  almost  wholly 
neglected  by  the  managers,  so  that  minds  and  bodies 
became  stunted  under  the  discipline,  or  want  of  dis- 
cipline, which  prevailed  in  the  State  Institution;  and 
that  idea  weighed  upon  them  long  after  the  thought 
as  to  semi-pauperism  had  been  cast  to  the  winds  by 
inquiry.  Similar  doubts  and  fears  obtain  even  now 
in  many  localities,  and  they  operate  with  terrible 
effect  against  the  welfare  of  many  blind  children; 
so  that  there  cannot  fail  to  be  some  advantage  in 
referring  to  the  subject  here.  Not  long  since,  in 
La  Crosse,  Wisconsin,  I found  a promising*  little  fel- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


43 


low  who  was  cooped  up  at  home  because  of  such 
prejudices  on  the  part  of  his  parents,  and  it  afforded 
me  much  pleasure  to  disabuse  their  minds  by  nar- 
rating my  own  experiences  as  a pupil  for  several 
years  and  subsequently  as  a visitor  to  the  Institution. 
He  was  sent  soon  afterwards  to  commence  his  career 
as  a pupil;  and,  unless  my  skill  in  augury  is  entirely 
at  fault,  he  will  add  largely  to  the  credit  and  es- 
teem which  has  been  fairly  earned  by  the  manage- 
ment. 

I owe  it  to  the  Institution  to  speak  in  the  very 
highest  terms  of  its  usefulness,  and  shall  not  readily 
forget  how  much  I am  indebted  to  Gideon  Ives 
for  his  perseverance  in  urging  the  matter  upon  the 
old  folks  at  home.  When  admitted,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  term,  October  i,  1854,  I was  the 
first  pupil  presented;  and  the  loneliness  which  had 
been  experienced  at  home  was  cheerful  companion- 
ship by  comparison  with  the  sound  of  my  own 
footsteps,  echoing  unanswered  through  the  vacant 
rooms  of  the  second  story,  where  I had  been  put 
away  for  safe  keeping  while  the  Superintendent  went 
into  Janesville  City,  about  three  miles  distant,  on 
some  business  that  demanded  attention.  After  a 
time,  having  exhausted  my  devices  within  the  class 
rooms,  I started  out  to  perambulate  the  halls,  and 
was  not  long  in  discovering  their  metes  and  bounds. 
Only  one  wing  of  the  structure,  since  burned,  had 
then  been  erected;  but  the  doorways  which  were  to 
connect  the  first  wing  with  the  remainder  had  been 


44 


O.UT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


boarded  across  loosely  to  prevent  accidents.  Of 
course  the  loose  boards  and  the  doorway  had  a charm 
for  me,  which  soon  became  irresistible,  and  my 
wandering  footsteps  returned  to  that  point  again  and 
again.  Why  was  it  boarded?  What  was  there 
concealed  beyond  the  aperture?  The  adventure  was 
worth  prosecuting,  and  a minute  later  I was  at  work 
forcing  my  way  under  the  lowest  plank  with  some 
considerable  ingenuity,  only  to  fall  head-first  into 
the  excavation  for  the  basement  of  the  body  of  thef 
building,  a depth  of  more  than  twenty-five  feet. 
Much  shaken  up  as  I was  by  my  speedy  descent, 
no  bones  were  broken,  and  my  voyage  of  discovery 
was  extended  in  the  hope  that  I might  find  means 
of  escape  from  my  cell.  Happily  for  my  peace  of 
mind,  my  fall  had  not  been  unheeded;  the  contractor 
for  stone  for  the  [building,  Mr.  Miltimore,  saw  the 
result  of  my  tour  of  investigation,  from  a distance, 
and  hastened  to  fish  me  out  from  my  dungeon. 
His  arrival  was  so  timed  that  I had  just  realized 
my  own  helplessness  in  the  premises,  when  the  sound 
of  a friendly  and  most  musical  voice,  although  in  a 
tongue  unknown  to  me,  brought  me  assurance  of 
help.  I have  many  times  since  then  met  Mr. 
Miltimore,  and  found  him  always  a good  friend,  but 
his  voice  was  sweeter  when  I first  heard  it  than 
it  has  ever  sounded  since  to  my  ears. 

My  sister  Mary,  since  dead,  attended  me  to  the 
Institution,  and,  after  I had  been  duly  installed,  made 
her  home  for  the  winter  in  the  Bower  City  — as 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


45 


Janesville  is  called  — so  that  she  might  be  at  hand 
to  hear  and  investigate  any  complaints,  should  my 
treatment  prove  unsatisfactory.  My  accident  was 
unknown  to  her  until  her  next  visit,  a few  days 
later,  and  then  she  had  demonstrative  evidence  that 
I was  uninjured. 

There  was  quite  a large  number  of  pupils  in  the 
establishment  when  my  sister  came  again  to  see  me, 
and,  surrounded  by  companions  in  misfortune,  I was 
inspired  by  the  esprit  de  corps , which  forbade  any 
tendency  to  magnify  our  loss.  The  blind,  as  a rule, 
endeavor  to  make  it  appear  that  they  find  com- 
pensations in  the  cultivation  of  the  other  senses, 
which  largely  counterbalance  their  deprivation  of 
sight.  Certainly  it  is  better  to  bear  up  against  a 
loss  bravely  than  to  whine  over  what  cannot  be 
changed.  Unquestionably  it  is  wiser  to  thank  God 
for  what  remains  to  us  of  all  His  mercies,  than  to 
grieve  as  beings  without  hope  because  one  sense 
has  been  obliterated,  or  perhaps  only  impaired.  I 
say  perhaps  only  impaired,  and  the  expression  is 
used  advisedly.  Who  can  say  how  soon  some  Edi- 
son, equipped  for  discovery  and  invention,  by  means 
of  scientific  research  and  mechanical  adaptation,  may 
enable  the  sightless  to  see?  The  optic  nerves  re- 
main, and  experiments  innumerable  have  proven  that 
some  persons  can  decipher  with  their  eyes  closed 
and  bandaged  as  readily  as  others  with  the  aid  of 
their  natural  organs  of  vision.  We  may  yet  learn 
under  the  blessing  of  our  Creator,  through  the  in- 


4G  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

spirations  which  come  to  this  earth  by  means  of 
faithful  investigation  and  insight,  how  to  reach  and 
inform  the  brain  as  to  the  phenomena  of  visible 
nature  after  the  eyes  have  ceased  their  function. 
Not  long  ago  it  was  believed  that  the  deaf  were 
beyond  the  reach  of  sound  because  of  defects  in  their 
ears,  although  their  auditory  nerves  remained  intact; 
but  science  and  discovery  have  revealed  to  us  that 
by  means  of  a very  simple  fan,  allowed  to  rest 
against  on?  of  the  teeth  of  the  patient,  sounds  just 
as  minute  as  the  faintest  whisper  can  be  conveyed 
to  the  brain,  and  deaf  mutes  are  being  enabled  to 
comprehend  and  speak  the  languages  from  which 
they  were  supposed  shut  off  forever.  When  an 
inexpensive  diaphragm  of  gutta  percha,  expanded  on 
a fan,  touching  a tooth  set  in  the  jaw,  whether  the 
tooth  be  natural  or  artificial,  can  instruct  the  nervous 
system,  and  remedy  so  many  of  the  evil  conse- 
quences of  defective  ears,  can  we  imagine  that  the 
obstacles  which  prevent  a similar  action  upon  the 
brain  through  the  optic  nerves  are  insuperable? 

Faith  will  remedy  ten  thousand  ills,  when  by  its 
means  the  scientist  is  inspired  to  search  with  more 
diligence  into  the  arcana  of  the  unknown,  for  God 
appointed  means  of  relief.  Meantime  it  is  well 
that  the  class  which  suffers  bereavement  should  cheer- 
fully bear  their  burden,  and  wait  for  the  evangel. 
Our  boys  and  girls  were  not  possessed  by  any  such 
ideas  as  I have  here  set  down,  but  they  had  borne 
enough  in  their  several  households,  in  the  form  of 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


47 


implied  reproach,  or  repining  over  their  misfortunes, 
to  be  ready  to  grasp  at  the  consolation  of  com- 
panionship with  persons  of  their  own  class,  and,  thus 
reinforced,  to  set  up  an  impcrium  in  imperio  which 
made  it  an  offense  against  the  community  for  any 
one  of  the  number  to  solicit  the  pity  of  visitors,  or 
even  to  receive  its  expression  without  resenting  the 
supposition  of  superiority  which  pity  necessarily  con- 
veys. My  own  condition  of  mind  rendered  the 
unlicensed  training  which  was  thus  indulged  pecu- 
liarly pleasant,  as  it  filled  my  soul  with  a laudable 
ambition  to  be  and  to  do  something  which  should 
wipe  out  the  stigma  of  helplessness  from  my  ex- 
istence, and  at  some  time,  not  far  distant,  as  it  seemed, 
enable  me  to  challenge  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
the  little  circle  upon  which  I had  so  long  felt  myself 
a burden.  ’ That  ambition,  which  entered  into  my 
childish  mind  at  the  very  beginning  of  my  school 
days,  has  never  ceased  to  animate  my  subsequent 
career;  and  when  I am  confronted  by  some  half 
instructed  zealot  with  denunciations  of  ambition  per 
\se  as  a vice,  I feel  impelled  to  cry  out  that  next 
'to  and  akin  with  hope  it  is  our  Almighty  Father’s 
choicest  blessing. 

I could  no  longer  complain  of  a lack  of  play- 
fellows, and  our  diversions  were  sufficiently  numerous 
to  render  the  old  habit  of  moping,  to  which  nearly 
all  of  the  pupils  had  become  more  or  less  accus- 
tomed, an  impossibility.  I gave  a wide  berth  to  that 
loosely  boarded  doorway  through  which  I fell  sans 


48 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


ceremonie  on  the  day  of  my  arrival;  but  I learned 
from  my  companions,  to  whom  my  adventure  was 
well  known,  that  the  aperture  had  been  securely 
guarded  immediately  after  my  mishap.  The  weather 
outdoors  was  still  pleasant  and  inviting,  and, 
although  we  could  not  see  the  variegated  colors  of 
the  leaves  which  adorn  the  woods  of  autumn,  the 
balmy  atmosphere  of  the  Indian  summer  was  pecu- 
liarly grateful  to  our  feelings,  now  that  we  could 
roam  at  large  in  the  grounds  in  which  the  Insti- 
tution stood.  We  were  not  all  absolutely  blind; 
some  of  my  classmates  could  see  just  enough  to  act 
as  guides  in  our  impromptu  excursions,  and  we 
detailed  them  for  special  duty  as  a matter  of  course. 
There  is  an  adage  that,  “ among  the  blind  a man 
with  one  eye  is  king,”  and  our  conduct  verified  the 
saying;  but  the  leader  won  his  spurs  by  being  the 
servant  of  his  subjects.  There  is  a sublime  mystery 
in  the  fact  that  our  Saviour  washed  the  feet  of  his 
disciples;  all  the  rulers  of  mankind,  who  actually 
govern,  must  serve  before  they  can  command.  There 
is  still  a pleasure,  although  time  has  dimmed  the 
lustre  of  the  delight,  in  recalling  the  al  fresco  sports 
of  my  Janesville  days.  We  could  descend  the 
somewhat  declivitous  banks  of  Rock  River,  and 
whip  its  stream  with  flies  of  our  own  manufacture, 
when  more  costly  equipments  were  impracticable, 
and  sometimes  our  piscatorial  labors  were  rewarded 
with  a bite.  When  the  weather  was  not  too  chilly, 
the  water  tempted  us  to  venture  on  a swim, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DAHKNKSS. 


4# 


although  none  of  our  little  party  could  have  been  con- 
sidered dangerous  rivals  by  Paul  Boy  ton  or  Captain 
Webb;  and  some  of  my  escalades  in  and  upon  Rock 
River  will  tend  to  show  that  my  constitutional  rashness 
was  not  easily  chastened;  but  of  such  matters  we  can 
speak  in  due  time.  There  was  very  little  limit  to 
our  enjoyment  during  our  school  terms,  after  the 
tasks  of  the  classrooms  were  accomplished,  unless 
for  some  reason  needful  discipline  had  been  imposed 
upon  evil  doers.  There  is  not  a boy  living  and  in 
good  health  at  this  moment,  and  it  is  likely  that  there 
never  has  been,  who  went  through  a course  of  tuition 
without  deserving  correction;  and  woe  to  the  un- 
happy wight  who  escaped  punishment  in  his  tender 
years,  by  heaping  up  severer  misfortunes  for  later 
life.  There  is  a deep  truth  in  the  proverb,  “If  you 
won’t  be  ruled  by  the  rudder,  you  will  by  the  rock.” 
Perhaps  there  was  an  overdose  of  “rudder”  in  my 
case,  for  certainly  up  to  this  time  I have  experienced 
but  very  few  “ rocks.”  The  management  of  the  Insti- 
tution was  not  unnecessarily  severe,  and  the  course 
of  study  was  not  exhaustive;  but  the  pleasantest  part 
of  our  school  lives  was  that  which  we  spent  in  ram- 
bling the  grounds  between  whiles,  when  all  the  boys 
were  teachers  and  pupils  in  the  various  fields  of  their 
respective  excellencies.  In  almost  every  educational 
establishment  the  same  fact  may  be  noted  in  some 
degree,  but  with  us  the  load  of  restraint  which  had 
been  endured  at  home  made  a semi- masterless  con- 
dition especially  enjoyable.  Circumstances  so  far 


50 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


favored  us  during  the  terms  of  my  attendance,  that 
no  serious  accidents  befell  any  of  the  pupils,  although 
I can  now  see  that  we  ran  some  terrible  risks, 
which  might  have  had  fatal  endings.  One  instance 
of  misplaced  ingenuity  may  be  mentioned,  which 
will  give  the  gentle  reader  an  inkling  of  the  dan- 
gers which  the  boys  daily  dared  in  the  prosecution 
of  a practical  joke.  The  Chicago  & Northwestern 
Railroad  passed  near  the  Institution,  through  a deep 
cutting,  which  was  in  process  of  being  bridged  over, 
a few  rude  beams  having  been  placed  in  position 
across  the  chasm  in  the  roadway.  Upon  that  very 
risky  perch  a bevy  of  blind  boys  might  have  been 
seen  with  clock-like  regularity  about  train  time,  when- 
ever the  classes  were  not  in  session,  taking  soundings* 
as  to  the  depth  below  them.  A number  of  clothes- 
lines, joined,  with  a big  stone  as  a plummet,  consti- 
tuted the  simple  but  effective  apparatus  for  our  opera- 
tions. A few  visits  to  the  dangerous  spot  gave  to 
each  member  of  the  party  remarkable  facility  in 
scrambling  along  the  beams;  and,  once  in  position, 
we  waited  patiently  the  arrival  of  the  cars.  The 
plummet  was  then  sent  down  just  far  enough  to 
reach  the  roof  of  the  cars,  along  which  it  was 
dragged,  bumping  at  every  coupling,  to  the  no  small 
dismay  of  the  uninitiated  passengers  within,  who 
believed  themselves  on  the  verge  of  some  disastrous, 
inexplicable  accident.  This  curious  experiment  was 
continued  day  after  day  with  monotonous  regularity 
until  the  officers  of  the  road  became  aware  of  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


51 


true  inwardness  of  the  phenomena,  and  then  a spe- 
cial messenger  to  the  Institution  made  prisoners  of 
us  all  for  an  extended  term,  until  we  had  satisfied 
the  superintendent  of  our  contrition,  and  pledged  out 
words  never  more  to  offend  the  railroad  company 
The  chances  of  death  which  we  all  ran  in  that  fool- 
hardy series  of  adventures  never  seemed  to  occur  t <f 
the  minds  of  the  participants. 

I have  mentioned  that  there  were  differences  in 
the  degrees  of  blindness  to  which  different  pupils 
were  subject.  Some  could  distinguish  between  day 
and  night,  or  could  realize  the  passage  of  an  opaque 
body  between  themselves  and  the  lamp;  while 
others,  but  for  the  sense  of  feeling,  might  have 
walked  against  a brick  wall,  expecting  to  pass  unin- 
terrupted. Daltonism  or  color  blindness  is  extremely 
common  among  persons  who  have  no  idea  that 
they  endure  any  defect  of  vision.  The  famous  John 
C.  Dalton,  whose  name  has  been  given  to  the  defect 
in  question,  could  not  distinguish  between  red,  blue 
and  green,  and  other  members  of  his  family  were 
similarly  afflicted.  Railroad  companies  have  become 
aware  that  the  incapacity  to  distinguish  colors  is  a 
fatal  defect  among  railway  men,  to  whom  the  danger 
signal  only  appeals  by  the  substitution  of  one  col- 
ored light  for  another.  Numerous  examinations 
have  established  the  commonness  of  this  peculiarity, 
and  it  is  probable  that  many  otherwise  preventable 
accidents  have  been  precipitated,  on  land  and  sea,  by 
unsuspected  color  blindness.  The  eye  does  not  ap- 


52 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


parently  differ  from  perfect  organs  of  vision,  and 
for  the  average  of  work  it  may  be  just  as  service- 
able, but  there  must  necessarily  be  a deficiency  in 
the  capacity  to  enjoy  a feast  of  coloring,  such  as 
some  of  the  modern  painters  love  to  display  in  the 
galleries  of  their  patrons.  Some  of  the  lads  were 
afflicted  with  cataract  only,  others  with  opacity  of  the 
cornea,  and,  happily,  the  daily  increasing  skill  and 
knowledge  of  the  medical  profession  have  given  sight 
to  thousands  whose  cases  would  have  been  pronounced 
hopeless  half  a generation  ago.  A boy  who  was 
restored  to  sight  by  Cheselden,  was  unable  for  fully 
two  months  to  discover  that  pictures  resembled  solid 
bodies;  the  coloring  had  no  meaning  and  but  little 
delight  for  him,  in  spite  of  all  that  could  be  said  in 
the  way  of  tuition;  but  when  at  last  the  truth  began 
to  dawn  upon  his  partly  educated  eyes,  he  persisted 
in  touching  the  canvas,  expecting  to  find  actual  trees, 
castles  and  cattle  upon  the  landscape.  Night  blind- 
ness affects  some  who  can  see  with  tolerable  clear- 
ness during  the  day,  the  incapacity  becoming  gradually 
developed  as  the  shades  of  evening  fall,  and  becom- 
ing more  or  less  complete  in  different  persons  after 
nightfall.  Day  blindness  is  another  form  of  depriva- 
tion of  sight.  The  patient  sees  as  well  as  other 
persons  in  some  cases,  and  in  other  instances  much 
better  than  the  average,  during  the  night;  but  with 
the  return  of  day  comes  total  blindness  or  some  less 
degree  of  incapacity.  This  kind  of  affliction  prevails 
largely  among  Albinos.  None  of  our  boys  suffered 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


53 


from  hemeralopia  or  nyctalopia,  as  night  blindness 
and  day  blindness  are  respectively  called,  because, 
their  deprivation  of  sight  being  only  temporary  and 
intermittent,  such  persons  could  be  taught  by  ordinary 
means  at  intervals.  We  had  in  our  little  companion- 
ship some  who  were  not  totally  in  the  dark,  but 
who  were  gradually  approaching  total  blindness  from 
what  seemed  to  be  decay  of  the  optic  nerve  or 
disease  of  the  brain  immediately  connected  therewith; 
some  who  were  born  blind  and  had  consequently 
never  seen  the  light  of  day;  some  whose  affliction 
could  be  traced  to  eruptive  fever,  scarlet  fever,  small- 
pox and  other  diseases  incidental  to  childhood;  but 
with  all  my  inquiries  I could  find  no  one  among  my 
schoolfellows  whose  case  in  any  degree  resembled 
my  own,  and  in  that  fact  I seemed  to  discover  a 
mournful  satisfaction.  The  mind  of  a child  is  even 
more  remarkable  than  that  of  a man,  in  the  strange 
contrarieties  and  illogical  reasonings  which  it  submits 
for  our  consideration. 

The  Janesville  Institution  for  the  Blind  was  founded 
by  the  State  of  Wisconsin  in  1850,  so  that  it  was 
only  four  years  old,  and  still  incomplete,  when  my 
connection  with  it  began.  Built  on  high  ground,  a 
little  distance  from  the  populous  city  of  Janesville, 
it  became  the  most  interesting  architectural  feature 
of  that  neighborhood,  where  there  is  much  that  is 
beautiful.  Before  Wisconsin  undertook  the  philan- 
thropic and  eminently  sagacious  work  of  providing 
for  the  mental  and  physical  culture  of  the  blind,  ten 


54 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


institutions  similar  had  been  established  in  various 
parts  of  the  Union,  commencing  in  1829  with  the 
Perkins  Institute,  and  Massachusetts  Asylum,  in  Bos- 
ton. New  York  followed  two  years  later  with  an 
institution  for  the  blind,  in  1831,  and  the  City  of 
Brotherly  Love,  Philadelphia,  made  similar  provision 
in  1833.  Four  years  then  elapsed  without  any  new 
foundations,  but  the  work  was  being  urged  in  several 
States.  Columbus,  Ohio,  had  the  honor  of  being 
the  first  to  follow  the  lead  of  the  Quaker  City,  and 
its  institution  for  the  blind  in  1837  was  succeeded  in 
1839  by  a similar  establishment  in  Stanton,  Virginia. 
The  South  then  took  a hand  in,  and  for  several 
years  most  of  the  new  foundations  for  the  blind 
were  in  that  part  of  the  Union,  including  that  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  1842,  one  at  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, 1844,  and  one  at  Raleigh,  North  Carolina, 
1846.  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  started  an  institution  in 
1847;  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  took  up  the  running  in 
1849;  and  then  Janesville  was  selected  by  Wiscon- 
sin as  the  site  for  its  great  work  in  1850.  Since 
that  time  the  labors  of  wisdom  and  benevolence  have 
not  been  allowed  to  flag.  In  the  year  1851  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  founded  an  institution;  in  1853  Ma- 
con, Georgia;  Jackson,  Michigan;  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land; Vinton,  Iowa;  and  Jackson,  Mississippi;  each 
began  to  make  provision  for  their  blind,  and  so  the 
good  work  went  on  until  the  oriflamme  of  civil  war 
flung  to  the  breeze  temporarily  stayed  works  of 
mercy,  or  found  new  fields  for  their  action.  Flint, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  55 

Michigan,  founded  an  institution  in  1854,  Austin, 
Texas,  in  1856,  Talladega,  Alabama,  in  1858,  and 
in  the  following  year  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  was 
similarly  honored,  after  which  there  was  no  new 

foundation  for  four  years,  until  Faribault,  Minnesota, 
away  from  the  centers  of  warlike  operations,  began 
to  make  provision  for  the  blind  in  1863.  As  soon 

as  the  pacification  of  the  Union  began  to  be  real- 
ized, old  activities  were  resumed  in  all  directions. 

California  established  an  Institution  at  Oakland,  Cali- 
fornia, 1866;  New  York  founded  its  State  Institution 
at  Batavia,  New  York,  1867;  Kansas  made  provis- 
ion for  the  sightless  in  1868;  South  Carolina  built 
the  Institution  at  Cedar  Springs  in  1869,  and  in 
1870  West  Virginia  at  Romney,  and  Louisiana  at 
Baton  Rouge,  testified  that  although  their  lands  had 
been  deluged  with  patriotic  blood,  and  their  houses 
and  fortunes  destroyed  by  intestine  commotion,  they 
would  still  remember  and  assist  the  poor  and  help- 
less within  their  borders.  The  work  goes  bravely 
on  in  all  directions,  and  the  Union  has  already 
nearly  as  many  institutions  for  the  blind  as  Europe, 
although,  of  course,  they  are  not  yet  as  well  ap- 
pointed nor  as  rich  as  those  established  by  our  an- 
cestors in  the  older  nations,  which  were  already 
wealthy  when  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  sought  freedom 
to  worship  God  on  Plymouth  Rock. 

Europe  has  thirty  principal  schools  for  the  blind, 
besides  many  of  local  celebrity  which  are  accom- 
plishing beneficent  work.  The  first  school  of  any 


56 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


note  was  that  founded  at  Paris  in  1784,  five  years 
before  the  Bastille  fell  jin  the  first  upheavings  of  the 
great  revolution.  Liverpool  established  its  school 
in  1791,  followed  by  Edinburgh  in  the  same  year, 
and  in  1800  by  London.  Vienna  and  Prague  built 
schools  for  their  blind  in  1804,  St.  Petersburg  and 
Berlin  in  1806,  Amsterdam  in  1808,  Zurich  and 
Dresden  in  1809,  Dublin  in  1810,  Copenhagen  in 
1811,  and  then  there  was  a lull  in  the  benevolent 
activities  of  the  nations  for  a season,  until  the  wars 
of  combined  Europe  against  the  Napoleonic  dynasty 
had  ended  in  the  expatriation  of  the  world  conquer- 
or to  St.  Helena.  Stockholm  was  the  first  city  to 
establish  a school  for  the  blind  after  the  capitulation 
of  Paris  in  1815,  and  that  event  dates  from  1817. 
Koenigsburg,  Breslau  and  Barcelona  founded  schools 
in  1818,  1819  and  1820,  Naples  in  1822,  Gmund  in 
1823,  Lintz  in  1824,  Pesth  in  1825,  Manchester  and 
Glasgow  in  1827,  Freisingen  and  Bruchal  in  1828, 
and  Hamburg  in  1830.  Hamburg,  York,  Cork, 
Munich,  and  Lausanne  in  1830,  1838,  1840  and  1844, 
respectively,  have  been  the  only  great  schools  estab- 
lished in  Europe  for  the  blind  since  America  began 
its  philanthropic  labors  in  the  same  direction;  and 
it  cannot  fail  to  appear  to  any  well  constituted  mind 
that  our  work  compares  favorably  with  the  labors  of 
the  old  world,  especially  when  it  is  borne  in  mind 
that  during  that  brief  interval  we  have  fought  to 
its  bitter  end,  at  Appomattox,  the  greatest  civil  war 
the  world  ever  knew,  and  solved  a problem  which 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


57 


caused  the  noblest  minds  to  totter.  It  is  not  claimed 
that  the  benevolent  institutions  of  this  country  are 
as  well  endowed  as  those  of  the  continent  from 
whence  we  came;  but  it  is  absolutely  certain  that,  all 
things  considered,  they  bear  as  unmistakable  testimony 
to  the  Christian  philanthropy  of  the  people  as  the 
world  can  furnish  elsewhere;  and  some  of  the  results 
attained  are  as  worthy  of  admiration  as  any  of  the 
triumphs  of  education  under  similar  limitations  that 
have  ever  been  realized. 

The  case  of  Laura  Bridgeman,  an  inmate  of  the 
Perkins  Institution  at  Boston,  illustrates  in  a peculiar 
degree  the  amount  of  relief  that  can  be  given 
to  suffering  humanity,  under  circumstances  which 
seemed  almost  to  deny  philanthropy  and  science  a 
foothold.  Blind,  deaf,  and  dumb,  without  the  sense 
of  smell,  and  almost  devoid  of  the  power  to  taste, 
she  seemed  cut  off  from  the  race  at  every  point 
save  the  avenue  of  feeling,  through  which  alone 
her  intellect  could  be  instructed  and  her  soul  awak- 
ened. She  might  as  well  have  been  entombed,  for 
all  the  solace  that  could  reach  her  through  the 
voices  of  her  family,  or  the  cheerful  laughter  which 
does  so  much  to  render  the  average  home  a place 
of  happiness.  Following  her  mother  from  place  to 
place,  she  felt  her  arms  and  hands,  as  she  pursued 
the  daily  work  of  the  house,  and  imitating  the  motions 
so  observed,  learned  in  that  laborious  way  to  sew 
and  knit,  and  discharge  some  other  simple  duties. 
Her  temper  suffered  in  no  small  measure  from  Ter 


58 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


privations.  Her  moral  sense  could  not  be  appealed 
to.  There  was  no  way  by  which  the  lessons  which 
we  find  in  our  spoken  and  written  language  could 
be  conveyed  to  her  mind,  at  the  time  of  her  enter- 
ing the  institution,  although  her  intellect  eventually 
proved  itself  to  possess  powers  beyond  the  average. 
Dr.  Howe,  the  superintendent  of  the  Perkins  In- 
stitute, described  her  as  having  a large  and  beauti- 
fully formed  head,  with  a strongly  marked  nervous 
sanguine  temperament.  The  first  care  was  to  give 
her  a knowledge  of  arbitrary  signs,  by  which  she 
might  be  taught  to  interchange  thoughts  with  others, 
and  with  almost  unceasing  care  that  end  was  ac- 
complished. What  seemed  at  first  a mechanical 
trick  dawned  at  last  upon  her  intelligence  as  a means 
of  conversing  with  an  unknown  world,  and  obtain- 
ing thence  sympathy,  knowledge  and  esteem,  from 
a host  of  human  beings  who  had  been  to  her  scarcely 
more  than  the  domestic  animals  with  which  she 
came  in  contact.  The  wrecked  mariner,  signalled 
from  the  shore  that  help  will  be  afforded  him,  and 
assured  that  rescue  is  at  hand,  could  not  exper- 
ience a more  solemn  joy  than  was  evinced  by  that 
poor  child  as  she  grasped  the  value  of  her  education 
From  that  moment  she  was  more  plastic  than  clay 
in  the  hands  of  the  potter,  for  the  brightness  that 
was  within  enabled  her  to  perceive  the  bearings  of 
a thought,  almost  as  soon  as  the  work  of  communica- 
tion began.  The  manual  alphabet  used  by  deaf 
mutes  was  mastered  by  feeling  the  hands  of  those 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


59 


with  whom  she  conversed,  and  imitating  every  move- 
ment, success  in  delineation  being  announced  by  an 
approving  touch  on  her  head.  To  connect  the  letters, 
formed  into  a word,  with  the  object  so  described; 
to  change  the  signs  of  letters  into  letters  themselves, 
in  type  placed  at  her  disposal;  to  read  the  raised 
and  sunken  letters  on  the  printed  page,  and  to  com- 
prehend their  import,  must  have  seemed  to  those 
immediately  concerned  akin  to  raising  a soul  from 
out  the  cerements  of  death.  Her  facility  in  such 
intercourse  became  wonderful,  and  she  could  speedily 
distinguish  degrees  of  intellect  in  others,  treating 
the  weak  minded  with  absolute  contempt.  Her 
mother,  visiting  the  Institution  unannounced,  hoped 
that  her  child  would  recognize  her  presence  by 
filial  instinct;  but  it  was  only  when,  after  several 
attempts  to  awaken  her  memories  of  home,  the 
mother  kissed  her  with  that  fervor  which  only  parent 
and  child  can  understand,  that  poor  Laura  learned 
who  was  with  her,  and  she  would  not  lightly  leave 
her  side  again. 

Dr.  Howe,  whose  patient  perseverance  wrought 
these  wonders  in  Laura  Bridgeman’s  life,  deserves 
to  be  remembered  with  esteem  in  every  household, 
and  his  work  must  plead  for  him  unceasingly  before 
that  throne  where  every  work  of  mercy  takes  its 
rise.  He  who  gave  sight  to  Bartimaeus,  and  to 
Lazarus  life  itself,  had  a worthy  and  faithful  fol- 
lower in  the  good  man  whose  soul  has  carried 
happiness  into  so  many  homes. 


CHAPTER  II. 


u I hold  it  true  with  him  who  sings 
To  one  clear  harp  with  many  tones, 

That  men  may  rise  on  stepping-stones 

Of  their  dead  selves  to  higher  things.” — Tennyson . 

School  clays  had  commenced  with  me  in  earnest, 
but  the  means  at  the  disposal  of  the  Superintendent, 
Mr.  Woodruff,  were  so  limited  that  there  was  little 
benefit  to  be  obtained  in  the  Institution,  beyond 
companionship  with  youngsters  of  my  own  age  and 
condition.  Certainly  there  were  opportunities  to 
make  brooms  and  brushes  under  a moderately  com- 
petent instructor,  and  to  the  facility  then  attained  I 
have  since  that  time  owed  many  a pleasant  and  prof- 
itable hour.  Acquaintance  with  the  English  tongue 
was  also  something,  and  that  grew  apace,  in  my 
case,  with  almost  every  boy  for  my  teacher  out-of- 
doors,  and  the  tutors  in  the  several  classes  all  speak- 
ing that  language.  The  Superintendent  was  a well- 
meaning,  pleasant  man,  who  did  not  know  what  was 
required  at  his  hands,  and  who  never  made  any  se- 
rious endeavors  to  discharge  the  higher  duties.  He 
was  careful  as  a janitor,  and  his  salary,  three  hun- 
dred dollars  per  annum,  may  well  have  begotten  in 
him  the  idea  that  there  were  no  other  functions  im- 
posed upon  him.  The  boys  treated  him  with  consid- 

60 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


61 


eration  on  account  of  his  kindly  demeanor,  but  no- 
body could  imagine  for  one  moment  that  the  poor 
man  was  in  his  proper  place;  and  when  he  took  his 
departure,  in  1855,  there  was  a sense  of  relief  in  our 
minds,  and  a consciousness  that  he  could  not  be  paid 
less  in  any  other  vocation,  however  perfect  his  un- 
fitness might  be. 

Our  next  Principal  was  Superintendent  Lane,  a good 
man,  who  came  from  Jackson,  Mississippi,  in  1855, 
| and  remained  six  months.  He  has  since  become  a 
minister  of  the  gospel,  and,  in  whatever  walk  of  life 
he  may  be  called  to^  act  his  part,  he  will  never  fail 
to  carry  a kindly  heart  into  his  labors.  He  left  a 
salary  of  one  thousand  three  hundred  dollars  per  an- 
num, to  accept  less  than  half  that  amount  in  Wiscon- 
sin; and,  finding  an  institution  poorly  appointed,  in- 
stead of  one  fully  equipped  for  the  work,  he  became 
entirely  disgusted  with  the  change.  Everything  con- 
spired to  render  him  dissatisfied  with  his  new  loca- 
tion. The  winter  of  1855-6  was  unusually  severe; 
for  more  than  a month  in  our  unfinished  building  — 
, only  a wing  at  the  best,  and  that,  too,  a wing  that 
never  beat  the  wind  — the  thermometer  ranged  from 
twenty  to  thirty-two  degrees  below  zero,  and  hardly 
one  nose  could  be  found  that  had  not  been  tweaked 
by  Father  Frost.  Mr.  Lane,  accustomed  to  the 
milder  airs  of  the  South,  saw  no  pleasure  in  such 
extremes,  so  he  merely  remained  until  the  weather 
moderated,  and  then  in  April  gave  his  benediction  to 
the  Institution  in  the  form  of  “a  big,  big  D,”  by 


62 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


way  of  a parting  salute  to  the  boys.  We  regretted 
him  much,  for  he  was  kind  to  us  always,  treated 
every  one  generously,  displayed  no  administrative 
rigor,  enforced  no  discipline,  assumed  that  every  boy 
was  a gentleman,  and  never  questioned  his  attain- 
ments, leaving  each  to  be  a law  unto  himself.  The 
youngsters,  who  are  much  more  observant  everywhere 
than  their  elders  are  inclined  to  believe,  thought  Mr. 
Lane  a marvel  of  scholarly  accomplishments;  and  that 
tradition  will  remain  with  us  to  the  end.  We  were 
naturally  sorry  when  he  left  us,  for  his  departure 
was  the  signal  to  break  up  school  four  months 
before  the  usual  time,  and  the  institution  had  grown 
to  be  a home  to  most  of  us.  I shall  not  readily 
forget  the  commencement  of  that  long  vacation,  be- 
cause, inasmuch  as  the  finale  was  not  looked  for,  my 
friends  had  made  no  provision  for  my  return,  and 
it  devolved  upon  me  to  take  my  journey  with  the 
mail  man,  who  carried  the  letters  at  stated  intervals  to 
Christiana,  Wisconsin,  the  post  town  nearest  my  fath- 
er’s farm.  When  we  reached  the  office  at  Albion, 
Wisconsin,  the  carrier  left  me  on  the  box  seat  of  the 
vehicle,  while  he  went  inside  to  hand  over  the  mail 
to  the  postmaster,  and  to  exchange  his  budget  of 
news  from  Janesville  for  the  petty  scandal  that 
abounds  in  villages.  I thought  we  had  reached 
Christiana,  our  destination,  and  no  sooner  was  my 
custodian  in  the  office  than  I started  for  home.  One 
village  street  is  so  like  another  that  nothing  warned 
me  of  my  mistake  until  I found  myself  out  upon  the 


OUT  FROM  TTIE  DARKNESS. 


63 


prairie,  having  walked  far  enough,  according  to  my 
calculation,  to  have  reached  home,  and  being  yet  un- 
able to  discover  any  of  the  familiar  landmarks.  I had 
traveled  at  least  two  miles  further  away  from  my 
destination,  and  at  last,  becoming  painfully  conscious 
of  my  blunder,  I reluctantly  turned  my  steps  toward 
a cottage  by  the  roadside,  to  ask  for  direction. 
Blind  boys  are  very  sensitive  as  to  such  mistakes, 
and  would  generally  walk  a long  way  around  rather 
than  confess  incapacity;  but  I was  at  sea  completely, 
without  a compass,  and  I did  not  know  which 
course  to  steer  for  my  port.  Before  I reached  the 
door,  the  voice  of  a stranger  and  the  sound  of  buggy 
wheels  attracted  my  attention.  The  gentleman  who 
hailed  me  had  seen  some  time  before  that  I was  a 
stranger  in  a strange  land,  and  had  followed  me,  cu- 
rious to  know  whether  I was  actually  lost.  My  evi- 
dent uncertainty,  as  I paused  near  the  gateway,  de- 
termined him  to  come  to  my  help.  I told  him  who 
I was,  and  where  I was  trying  to  find  my  way, 
and  within  a minute  was  sitting  beside  the  stranger, 
who  generously  became  my  pilot  in  the  emergency. 
The  wheels  were  as  musical  as  a well  tuned  instru- 
ment, and  the  thousand  and  one  questions  of  my 
friend  were  as  welcome  as  daylight  to  the  belated 
traveler.  When  we  reached  Edgerton  there  was  a 
bountiful  dinner  to  which  the  good  Samaritan  made 
me  welcome,  and  then  he  carried  me  nine  miles 
further,  away  from  his  own  road,  to  deliver  me  into 
the  hands  of  my  friends  at  home.  I say  it  with 


64 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


shame,  because  it  is  my  duty  to  tell  the  truth,  even 
although  it  may  not  be  creditable  to  the  narrator, 
that  on  my  arrival  at  my  destination  I was  so  over- 
joyed to  find  the  familiar  spot,  that  I rushed  in  to 
greet  my  mother,  and  forgot  to  ascertain  the  name 
of  my  benefactor.  One  fact  only  could  be  recalled 
by  me  when  I found  on  my  return  to  the  gate  that 
he  had  departed;  his  residence  was  about  four  miles 
west  of  Cambridge.  From  that  day  to  this  I have 
never  met  him,  and  now,  possibly,  I never  shall; 
but  the  service  that  was  rendered  me  will  never  be 
forgotten. 

The  fall  of  1856  saw  me  once  more  an  inmate  of 
the  Institution,  which  was  now  to  be  a school  in 
reality,  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Churchman,  an 
excellent  superintendent.  That  gentleman,  whose 
ability  was  recognized  by  the  allotment  of  a salary 
of  one  thousand  dollars,  a large  sum  for  Wisconsin 
in  those  days,  continued  in  office  until  1861,  and  the 
good  results  of  his  administrative  skill  remain  until 
this  hour.  I say  this  with  a clear  conscience,  as  my 
conviction,  although,  as  the  outcome  of  many  circum- 
stances unfortunate  for  me,  Mr.  Churchman  looked 
upon  the  narrator  with  disfavor  nearly  all  the  time 
that  he  reigned.  There  are  some  boys  in  every  school 
who  delight  to  carry  tales,  and  assume  a false  humil- 
ity, after  the  pattern  of  Uriah  Heefi , to  ingratiate 
themselves  with  the  principal.  Such  fellows  are  not 
universal  favorites.  Their  hands  are  against  every 
one,  and  they  suffer  the  recognized  penalty,  every 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


65 


one’s  hand  is  against  them.  The  tale  bearer  j)ar  ex- 
cellence in  our  Institution,  a bigger  fellow  than  my- 
self, by  far,  forced  a quarrel  upon  me  one  day,  and 
was  well  whipped. 

I suppose  good  fortune  * favored  me  in  one  sense, 
but  in  another  that  schoolboy  victory  was  the  bane  of 
my  life.  The-  tattler  reported  me  every  day  if  he  could, 
as  a kind  of  Heenan  and  Tom  Sayers  rolled  into  one; 
and,  because  I would  not  recriminate  on  my  accuser, 
there  came  to  be  a hard  feeling  against  me  in  the 
mind  of  the  superintendent,  which  might  have  had 
most  serious  consequences.  For  the  smallest  offence 
the  boys  were  called  up  and  reprimanded  before  the 
whole  school,  and  the  hardening  effects  of  that 
method  could  be  seen  in  every  child.  My  own  share 
of  such  lectures  was  away  beyond  the  average,  but 
I cannot  remember  that  any  of  these  exercises  ever 
left  me  in  an  amiable  mood;  for  there  was  a rank- 
ling sense  of  injustice,  and  uncalled-for  humiliation, 
in  the  methods  employed,  as  well  as  in  the  way  in 
which  the  charges  were  held  to  be  sustained.  It  is 
easy  to  see  now  that  Mr.  Churchman  was  imposed 
upon,  but  at  that  time  it  was  very  hard  to  find  any 
palliation  for  his  conduct.  However,  we  have  some- 
thing else  on  hand  besides  discussing  schoolboy 
grudges,  and,  with  your  permission,  we  will  go  on 
to  speak  of  the  new  superintendent,  as  an  administra- 
tive officer,  taking  hold  of  an  Institution  which  was 
only  a school  in  name,  and  converting  it  into  a 
reality  of  which  Wisconsin  might  be  proud.  The 
5 


66 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


plans  of  the  partly  finished  building  were  recon- 
structed and  improved  by  the  process,  so  that  the 
edifice  actually  served  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
intended.  The  legislature  was  persuaded  by  him  to 
vote  larger  sums,  year  by  year,  than  had  ever  been 
appropriated  before  by  the  same  body  for  like  pur- 
poses, and,  the  money  being  available,  the  work  was 
rushed  through  as  rapidly  as  a due  regard  to  its  fit- 
ness would  permit.  Apparatus  of  all  kinds,  such  as 
had  been  conspicuous  by  their  absence  in  the  former 
history  of  our  school  days,  began  to  be  used  in  the 
work  of  tuition.  Maps,  globes,  scientific  and  philo- 
sophic mechanisms  adapted  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
blind,  awakened  a new  interest  in  our  studies,  and 
better  teachers  than  were  ever  before  employed  there 
were  called  into  requisition.  The  discipline  intro- 
duced was  sometimes  harsh  and  ill-judged,  as  harshness 
usually  is,  but  it  was  better  than  the  entire  absence 
of  discipline,  which  would  eventually  have  made 
the  Institution  little  better  than  a bear  garden.  Like 
many  another  wise  king,  our  ruler  lent  his  ear  to 
unworthy  favorites,  but  for  which  his  career  would 
have  reached  the  pinnacle  of  excellence. 

One  day  a remittance  was  sent  to  me  by  my 
father  to  purchase  clothes,  and  Mr.  Churchman  took 
me  with  him  into  Janesville  to  make  an  investment. 
If  ever  in  all  my  experience  I felt  my  oats,  that  day 
was  the  occasion.  There  was  a large  sum  of  money 
actually  in  my  keeping.  I had  been  honored  with  a 
drive  in  the  superintendent’s  carriage,  was  to  be 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


67 


dressed  for  the  first  time  in  a suit  of  town-made 
apparel,  so  that  the  eyes  of  the  civilized  world  would 
be  upon  me,  and  already  I could  feel  that  the  merchant 
tailor  deemed  me  a patron  worthy  his  best  atten- 
tion. Of  course  I was  nothing  if  not  critical,  and 
the  best  was  hardly  good  enough  material  to  encase 
me,  so  I was  examining  the  whole  stock  with  as  much 
energy  as  though  the  clothing  for  an  army  of  dandies 
was  to  have  been  chosen.  With  all  these  ideas,  and 
»and  a few  more  of  the  same  class,  inflating  the  sense 
of  my  importance,  imagine  the  shock  that  was  en- 
dured when  the  deep,  sonorous  voice  of  the  super- 
intendent grated  upon  my  ear,  in  an  audible  aside: 
“ I think  this  is  good  enough  for  a Scandinavian.” 
Shades  of  the  Vikings!  could  such  insolence  be  endured, 
and  the  perpetrator  live?  Was  there  no  Valhalla  in 
which  the  skull  of  such  an  enemy  could  be  used ' as  a 
drinking  vessel,  with  his  ensanguined  life-stream  as 
the  feast?  Come  what  come  might,  there  had  to  be 
a terrible  revenge  for  such  contumely,  if  the  manes 
of  our  ancestors  were  to  be  placated;  and,  though  my 
anger  was  silent,  it  was  deep.  Man  delighted  me 
not.  I was  in  the  same  case  with  Hamlet , and  as 
undecided  as  we  drove  back  to  the  Institution,  but 
my  purposes  were  never  forgotten  for  one  moment. 
An  Irish  lad,  my  companion  in  many  a hair- 
breadth ’scape  by  flood  and  field,  was  made  my 
confidant,  and  invited  not  only  to  stand  with 
me  in  the  imminent  and  deadly  breach,  but  also  to 
devise  means  for  making  such  breach.  He  was 


68 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


like  Torick , a fellow  of  infinite  jest,  fitted  to  keep 
the  table  in  a roar,  but  we  did  not  roar  worth  a 
cent  on  that  occasion;  we  gave  the  silent  watches 
of  the  night  to  deliberation.  His  plan  fell  short 
of  manslaughter,  but  it  went  into  the  depths,  and 
in  a certain  sense  it  promised  satisfaction.  The 
venerable  Churchman,  like  many  another  of  his 
class,  had  in  the  cellar,  for  his  own  particular 
delight  and  consolation,  a ten-gallon  keg  of  wine  — 
currant  wine.  That  must  be  reached  and  tapped 
with  straws,  must  be  drained  until  nothing  but 
emptiness  and  the  aroma  should  remain,  and  then 
in  the  mystery,  which  we  never  doubted  would  en- 
shadow  our  action  to  the  last,  we  would  contem- 
plate the  consequences  of  our  revenge  upon  that  inso- 
lent foe.  The  scheme  went  merrily  as  a marriage 
bell.  Our  success  equaled  the  most  sanguine  anticipa- 
tions. The  straws  were  inserted  night  after  night, 
and,  although  we  suffered  agonizingly  every  day,  be- 
ing compelled  to  keep  our  beds  and  take  medicine, 
we  never  failed  to  resume  our  self-imposed  duty  at 
night,  with  a constancy  worthy  of  a better  cause. 
To  this  day  I hate  currant  wine,  because  of  that 
long-drawn-out  vengeance  upon  the  contemner  of  our 
race;  but  that  remote  ancestry  from  which  we  take 
our  inspiration  must  have  smiled  at  my  devotion. 
The  keg  at  last  was  empty,  but  the  developments 
for  which  we  waited  and  hoped,  came  in  a form 
that  defeated  our  anticipations.  The  hired  man, 
who  alone  had  been  entrusted  with  the  key  of  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


69 


cellar,  was  deemed  guilty  of  our  sin,  and  was  dis- 
charged for  our  transgression.  His  offence  and  his 
punishment  were  published,  and  already  the  poor 
fellow,  overwhelmed  by  his  unmerited  misfortunes, 
was  at  the  gate  waiting  for  a conveyance  to  carry 
him  and  his  boxes  away.  There  was  not  a moment 
to  be  lost,  if  we  possessed  an  adequate  sense  of  jus- 
tice, and  my  companion  chivalrously  agreed  with  me 
that  we  had  no  option  but  to  confess  our  folly  at 
once,  and  face  the  music,  even  though  it  should 
involve  our  dismissal  from  the  Institution.  The 
fackdaw  of  Rheims , who  was  cursed  with  all  the 
accessories  of  Bell,  Book  and  Candle,  for  having 
stolen  My  Lord  Cardinal’s  ring,  was  an  embodi- 
ment of  innocence,  when  he  hopped  and  croaked  in 
the  sacred  presence  with  every  feather  reversed,  by 
comparison  with  the  guilty  things  that  stood  in  the 
office  of  the  superintendent  to  own  the  misdeed  for 
which  the  hired  man  was  condemned.  Mr.  Church- 
man treated  us  better  than  we  had  any  right  to 
expect.  We  were  punished,  but  not  dismissed.  One 
month  without  dessert,  and,  during  the  same  term, 
enforced  retirement  to  the  dormitory  at  seven  every 
evening,  was  a kind  of  discipline  that  spoke  of  a 
generous  heart  in  the  man  before  whom  we  ap- 
peared self-accused.  Had  the  charge  been  preferred 
by  some  other  accuser,  and  proved  by  testimony 
other  than  our  admission,  of  course  the  penalty  would 
have  assumed  widely  differing  proportions.  Thus 
ended  my  thoughts  of  revenge  for  a fancied  insult. 


70 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


in  my  better  appreciation  of  the  man  who  was 
less  injured  by  our  midnight  escapades  than  were 
the  silly  offenders. 

The  loss  of  my  dear  sister  and  friend,  whose  name 
was  mentioned  as  living  in  Janesville  to  protect  me, 
in  connection  with  my  first  appearance  in  the  Insti- 
tution, occurred  in  December,  1856;  and  shortly  before 
Christmas  I was  taken  home,  to  attend  her  funeral, 
by  one  of  the  neighbors,  who  drove  over  for  me 
in  his  sleigh.  My  clothing  was  too  light  for  a long 
ride  at  that  season  of  the  year,  and  the  weather 
was  very  severe.  The  snow  lay  deep  on  the  ground, 
and  shovels  were  provided  to  enable  the  rest  of  the 
sleigh  load  to  dig  a path  whenever  the  obstruction 
became  otherwise  insurmountable;  but  my  puny  pro- 
portions and  general  unfitness  for  work,  to  which 
I was  unaccustomed,  prevented  them  allotting  me  a 
shovel.  The  drive  of  only  twenty-two  miles  occupied 
almost  two  days,  and  exposure  without  exercise  told 
upon  me  with  great  effect.  During  the  second  day, 
it  seemed  as  though  the  cold  had  moderated  con- 
siderably, and  an  inclination  to  sleep  overpowered 
my  faculties.  The  friendly  driver,  my  custodian, 
must  have  noticed  my  somnolency,  as  he  plied  me 
with  many  questions,  until  I imparted  to  him  my 
conviction  that  the  weather  was  much  warmer.  As 
tsoon  as  that  fact  was  mentioned  he  ceased  to  talk,  but, 
handing  the  reins  to  another,  he  took  me  from  the 
bottom  of  the  sleigh,  and  dumped  me  into  a snow- 
drift. My  lines  had  fallen  into  unpleasant  places, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  71 

and  I could  not  understand  the  rigorous  treatment 
to  which  I was  subjected  for  the  next  hour.  The 
driver,  descending,  picked  me  up  and  rolled  me  over 
in  the  crisp  snow,  without  the  least  regard  for  my 
remonstrances.  His  patience  was  unbounded,  for  he 
did  not  show  a scintilla  of  temper,  although  I said 
to  him  all  the  meanest  things  that  could  be  uttered  in 
the  Norwegian  tongue.  Perseverance  was  as  marked 
in  his  composition  as  patience,  for,  during  all  the 
time  that  I was  pouring  out  upon  him  my  ineffectual 
volume  of  abuse,  he  never  ceased  to  drag  me  along, 
running  or  walking,  with  difficulty,  by  the  side  of  the 
sleigh,  until  the  lethargy  which  had  been  superin- 
duced by  the  cold  had  entirely  disappeared.  The 
pains  in  my  extremities,  which  were  then  ascribed 
to  his  unchristian  conduct  in  handing  me  from  the 
sleigh  with  so  little  ceremony,  can  now  be  under- 
stood as  the  efforts  of  nature  to  throw  of  the  dan- 
gerous effects  of  frostbite;  and  I can  understand  the 
possibility,  also,  that  but  for  the  gymnastic  exercises 
through  which  I was  put,  with  an  energy  of  which 
Ling  never  dreamed,  that  slumber  might  have  ended 
in  the  sleep  that  knows  no  waking  on  this  earth. 
My  family  thanked  the  driver-friend  for  his  care, 
and  taught  me  to  bless  him  for  the  precaution, 
which  had  probably,  under  the  Divine  favor,  saved 
my  life.  The  sorrowful  occasion  of  my  coming 
home  filled  the  house  with  solemnity,  for  this  was 
the  first  inroad  of  the  angel  of  death  on  our  little 
circle,  since  our  arrival  in  Wisconsin;  and  my  sister 


72 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


who  had  gone  to  her  account  was  a special  favor- 
ite with  every  member  of  the  family,  because  of  the 
gentleness  and  loving  kindness  with  which  she  had 
added  grace  to  every  action  in  her  energetic  career. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  the  sunshine  had  gone  out 
of  my  life  entirely  when  the  sods  fell  upon  her 
coffin,  for  she  had  been  in  a peculiar  sense  my 
guardian,  and  I loved  her  with  an  affection  which 
still  endures. 

My  school  career  was  speedily  resumed,  and,  as 
a matter  of  course,  my  melancholy  disappeared  in 
the  midst  of  my  accustomed  exercises  and  sports. 
One  of  our  most  popular  forms  of  enjoyment  was 
to  swing  in  a rope  suspended  from  the  overhang- 
ing branch  of  a great  tree,  on  the  grounds  of  the 
Institution.  The  tree  was  about  five  feet  in  diame- 
ter, and  the  first  branch  was  twenty-five  feet  from 
the  ground,  so,  inasmuch  as  we  had  not  learned  tree 
climbing  from  the  Australian  savages,  who  stick 
their  grasping  fingers  and  toes  into  the  bark  when 
they  are  in  pursuit  of  the  opossum  that  must  be 
had  for  dinner,  we  had  to  look  around  for  extra- 
neous aid.  We  used  the  second  branch  for  suspend- 
ing our  swing,  but  to  reach  that  elevation  was  easy 
after  we  had  gained  the  first.  The  preliminary 
stage  in  our  enterprise  required  some  ingenuity  and 
daring.  A sapling  with  a forked  branch  broken  off, 
so  that  only  about  a foot  remained  as  a kind  of 
staging,  came  so  near  to  the  first  limb  of  the  great 
tree  that  some  of  our  tallest  lads,  steadying  them- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


73 


selves  carefully  by  the  slender  upperworks  of  the 
sapling,  and  biding  their  time  as  the  support 
swayed  to  and  fro,  could  grasp  the  desired  limb 
and  raise  or  lower  themselves  at  pleasure.  Only  the 
tallest  fellows  of  our  little  community  attempted  this 
delicate  operation  for  some  time,  but  familiarity  with 
danger  breeds  contempt  at  last,  and  then  some  of  the 
smaller  boys  discovered  that  they  could  accomplish 
the  same  feat  by  springing  just  a little  way  upward 
at  the  right  moment.  Generally  at  the  outset  the 
boys  that  could  see  a little  were  on  hand  to  direct 
the  course  of  action,  but  by-and-by  their  services  were 
deemed  non-essential,  and  a group  of  youngsters 
would  follow  one  the  other  up  into  the  great  tree 
and  down  again,  as  recklessly  as  other  lads  jDlay 
leap-frog.  One  day  in  the  spring  of  1S57  it  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I would  make  the  ascent  alone, 
and  the  impulse  was  followed  unhesitatingly.  To 
climb  the  sapling  was  easy,  and  I was  soon  stand- 
ing on  the  accustomed  rest,  ready  to  jump.  Whether 
I sprang  too  early  or  too  late  I cannot  say,  but 
it  is  certain  that  I missed  the  branch,  and  in  my 
fall,  fortunately  for  me,  my  pants  became  entangled 
with  the  short  arm  of  the  sapling,  so  that  I re- 
mained head  downwards,  hanging  by  the  leg  of  my 
unmentionables  until  help  arrived.  I dared  not  make 
much  noise  to  attract  attention,  lest  my  presence  and 
condition,  my  head  bowed  to  the  earth  in  humil- 
ity to  atone  for  that  “vaulting  ambition  which 
overleaps  itself  and  falls  on  the  other  side,”  should 


74 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


lead  to  punishment;  so  I hung  there  in  silent  won- 
derment until  the  fruit  — rich,  ripe  and  ready  to  fall, 
as  is  said  in  the  story  books  — should  find  apprecia- 
tive observers,  willing  to  pluck  it  from  its  unwonted 
abiding  place,  and  say  nothing.  Perhaps  it  would 
have  been  possible  for  me  to  have  sprung  upwards 
and  have  clasped  the  sapling,  but  in  those  days  of 
shoddy  and  devil’s  dust  you  cannot  reckon  with 
absolute  confidence  upon  the  durability  of  cloth;  so 
it  was  prudent-  to  leave  well  alone.  James  Russell 
Lowell,  in  The  Bigelow  Papers,  satirizing  the  pre- 
tensions of  the  evolution  theory,  says: 

“ The  fears  of  a monkey  whose  holt  chanced  to  fail, 

Drew  the  vertebrae  out  to  a prehensile  tail;” 

but  there  was  no  case  on  record  in  which  pantaloons 
had  obeyed  the  law  of  development ; so  that  the 
passage  in  question,  of  which,  by-the-by,  I knew 
nothing  at  the  time,  afforded  me  no  comfort  what- 
ever. Ten  minutes  or  more  elapsed  before  I was 
seen  by  my  companions,  and  then  they  came  troop- 
ing towards  the  spot  in  high  glee  over  my  ridicu- 
lous appearance.  The  sapling  bending  with  my 
weight,  just  as  the  fishing  rod  of  Izack  Walton 
might  have  been  deflected  by  a worm  more  than  usu- 
ally ponderous,  held  me  about  nine  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  at  that  height  I was  compelled  to  remain 
until  an  impromptu  staging  could  be  erected  for  my 
relief.  There  came  to  me  no  words  of  sympathy 
from  the  crowd;  people  who  occupy  the  high  places 
in  life  are-  almost  of  necessity  alone;  but  I could  not 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


75 


see  anything  so  very  laughable  in  my  predicament 
as  that  any  of  the  fellows  need  roll  on  the  grass 
with  noisy  merriment,  instead  of  lending  a hand 
for  my  rescue.  In  Albert  Smith’s  veracious  narrative, 
The  Adventures  of  Jack  Johnson  and  Mr.  Ledbury , 
a volume  full  of  mirth  and  humorous  provocations, 
which  every  lover  of  fun  should  read,  there  is  a 
description  of  Mr.  Ledbury* s anxiety  as  he  hung  from 
a wall,  with  his  toes  almost  touching  the  ground, 
while  his  wicked  friend  Johnson  urged  him  to  hold 
on  for  his  life  until  he  could  procure  assistance. 
Perhaps  that  comical  illustration  may  have  occurred 
to  some  of  their  minds,  but  the  cases  were  not 
parallel,  as  my  fall,  could  I have  cleared  myself, 
might  have  been  sufficient  to  break  my  neck*  and 
I could  not  accomplish  that  end  without  damaging 
the  clothes  which  Mr.  Churchman  helped  me  to 
select  in  Janesville.  Well,  thank  goodness!  I was 
relieved  at  last,  after  about  twenty  minutes  of  un- 
sought distinction;  but  the  duress  under  which  I 
labored  seemed  to  have  lasted  a whole  day.  The 
boys  did  not  allow  me  to  forget  my  dilemma  in  a 
hurry,  but  the  secret  was  so  well  guarded  from  the 
tale  bearers  that  Mr.  Churchman  never  knew  how 
near  he  had  been  to  losing  his  bete  noii\  and  I was 
spared  a lecture  before  the  whole  of  the  classes  in 
chapel,  setting  forth  the  enormity  of  my  conduct. 
The  superintendent  was  a good  man  in  every  sense 
of  the  word,  but  he  could  not  remember  that  he 
had  ever  been  a boy,  or  he  would  have  varied 


76 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


some  of  his  lectures  with  a brilliant  flash  of  silence. 
The  only  thing  that  surprises  me  in  my  school 
career  is  that  I lived  through  it,  when  I try  to 
recall  the  singular  accidents  which  in  our  blind  con- 
fidence we  encountered.  The  boys  had  all  of  them 
more  or  less  pocket  money,  and  in  the  workshops 
we  were  encouraged  to  use  tools  of  almost  every 
description;  so  we  determined  to  build  a boat.  The 
lines  of  that  structure  may  not  have  been  such  as 
would  have  passed  muster  with  the  Admiralty,  but? 
they  were  more  ambitious,  if  not  more  successful,  than 
those  of  the  coracle,  the  boat  of  wicker  work,  covered 
on  the  outside  with  skins  sewed  together,  in  which 
the  Britons  ventured  to  skirt  the  stormy  Atlantic, 
before  the  Romans,  under  Caesar,  landed.  With 
what  patient  impatience  we  labored  on  our  new 
enterprise!  Had  there  been  a prospect  of  our  be- 
coming successful  mariners,  going  down  to  the  great 
sea  in  ships  and  bringing  wealth  from  far  Cathay, 
we  could  not  have  been  more  deeply  interested  than 
we  were  in  the  construction  of  our  little  vessel. 
Cleopatra,  reclining  on  the  perfumed  deck  of  that 
gorgeous  pleasure  boat  in  which  she  delighted  to  woo 
Pompey  in  the  days  when  Rome  did  not  think  he 
had  an  equal  in  generalship,  statecraft  or  patriotism, 
was  not  more  proud  of  her  silken  sails,  and  of  the  music 
or  costly  dishes  with  which  she  regaled  her  guest  on 
the  bosom  of  the  mysterious  Nile,  than  were  we  of 
our  humble  pinnace,  which  was  destined  to  carry  us  for 
a brief  term  upon  the  placid  stream  of  Rock  River, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


77 


Every  spare  hour  — nay,  every  minute  that  could  be 
spared  from  our  class  work,  we  spent  upon  that  model 
of  naval  architecture,  until  one  day  she  was  ready 
for  launching.  The  water  ran  through  her  at  first 
as  if  she  had  been  built  as  a colander  or  sieve,  but 
by  the  time  the  oars  were  finished,  ready  for  use, 
the  timbers  had  become  seasoned  and  staunch,  so  that 
a small  quantity  of  oakum  and  tar,  with  a skillful 
application  of  caulking  tools,  made  her  perfectly  sea- 
worthy. There  was  a great  deal  of  education  for 
all  concerned  in  our  boat  enterprise,  but  the  lessons 
were  not  yet  closed.  Some  day  there  will  be  a 
change  in  our  school  policy,  and  the  constitutional 
predilections  of  each  individual  will  have  their  fullest 
and  best  development  under  competent  masters:  the 
predestined  artizan  being  thoroughly  instructed  in  the 
laws  of  mechanics;  the  medical  man  of  the  future 
grounded  in  the  mysteries  of  physiology;  the  engineer, 
the  architect,  the  painter,  the  sculptor  and  the  cook, 
being  each  fitted,  so  far  as  rudimentary  training  can 
assist,  to  attain  the  highest  excellence  in  their  respec- 
tive lines  of  industry.  Now,  unfortunately  for  the 
national  welfare,  every  boy  and  girl  must  pass  through 
the  same  course  of  instruction,  without  regard  to 
individual  qualifications,  and  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
term  there  are  none  educated.  The  best  and  most 
gainful  industries,  the  mechanic  arts,  the  skill  of  the 
artificer,  and  all  others,  the  most  truly  dignified  occu- 
pations, are  looked  down  upon,  or  left  to  be  supplied 
by  foreigners  and  their  immediate  descendants,  while 


78 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  graduates  of  our  school  system  qualify  themselves 
to  be  clerks,  and  nothing  more,  crowding  the  market 
with  an  excessive  supply,  which  must  descend  at 
last  to  the  ranks  of  the  laborer.  We  had  no  cause  to 
complain  on  that  score,  or  at  any  rate  very  little. 
Within  the  limited  range  available  to  the  blind  there' 
was  an  earnest  endeavor  made  to  discover  personal 
fitness,  and  usually  the  best  qualities  of  the  pupil 
were  aided  toward  successful  development.  There 
were  exceptions,  certainly,  but  these  were  faults  of 
adminstration,  not  inherent  vices  of  the  system.  An 
idle  music-teacher,  whose  name  need  not  be  men- 
tioned, had  placed  under  his  care  a boy  named  Jones, 
whose  friends  thought  they  had  found  in  him  a de- 
cided taste  for  music,  which  might  be  cultivated  with 
advantage.  The  teacher,  well  paid  and  pampered, 
for  he  was  a favorite,  would  not  be  at  the  pains  to 
fairly  test  the  capacity  of  the  lad;  after  a probation, 
all  too  brief,  he  was  cast  aside  as  an  unpromising 
pupil,  upon  whom  instruction  would  be  thrown 
away,  and  for  two  years  his  time  was  absolutely 
wasted  as  a consequence  of  that  conclusion.  Jones 
was  then  sent  by  special  effort  to  Philadelphia,  to  the 
State  Institute,  if  I mistake  not,  where  many  pu- 
pils have  attained  wonderful  proficiency  ; and 
within  a short  time  evinced  such  taste  and  talent  as 
a musician  as  entitled  him  to  the  position  of  musical 
professor  in  the  Janesville  Institute,  where  his  'con- 
scientiousness, no  less  than  his  tact  and  skill,  made 
him  eminently  successful.  The  ability  of  Professor 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


79 


Jones  is  known  throughout  the  northwest,  and  in 
Janesville,  where  he  is  more  particularly  known, 
his  amiable  qualities,  as  well  as  his  critical  acumen 
and  executive  power,  have  given  him  a very  high 
place  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens.  But  I 
have  wandered  away  from  the  boat,  to  talk  about 
my  school  fellows,  and  it  is  certainly  time  to  return, 
if  we  are  ever  to  begin  our  long-looked-for  excur- 
sion. Every  boy  that  could  make  good  his  claim 
presented  himself  to  us  as  a passenger,  or  as  a rower, 
or  indeed  in  any  capacity  from  midshipman  upward, 
that  afternoon,  when  we  started  on  our  voyage;  and 
when  every  inch  of  sitting-room  had  been  appro- 
priated, without  encroaching  on  the  seats  for  the 
rowers,  there  were  still  many  sorrowful  faces  on  the 
bank.  But,  uYo!  Heave,  Yo!”  that  is  what  sea- 
men are  supposed  to  say  when  sailing  into  remote 
seas,  and  of  course  we  said  as  much,  or  words  to 
that  effect.  Away  flew  the  light  barque  over  the 
silvery  spray,  or  she  would  have  done  so,  but  she 
was  not  light  enough  to  fly  in  any  sense  of  the 
term;  there  was  no  spray  worth  mentioning,  and  what 
was  there  was  not  silvery,  for  Rock  River  is  not 
a rapid,  brilliant  stream.  But,  youth  at  the  prow 
and  pleasure  at  the  helm,  we  were  off  on  our  cruise. 
At  first  we  felt  our  way,  as  it  were,  timidly,  on  the 
new  element,  and  caution  diminished  the  muscular 
force  of  the  rowers;  but  courage  grew  with  im- 
munity, and,  as  the  French  say,  “nothing  succeeds 
like  success.”  So  we  gradually  increased  our  speed 


80 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


until  we  were  carrying  a full  head  of  steam  along 
the  middle  of  the  current.  The  sensation  was  truly 
glorious.  We  had  found  an  element  on  which  we 
could  disport  ourselves  with  perfect  safety,  where  the 
blind  were  the  equals  of  those  with  the  blessing  of 
sight,  where  no  carriage  could  endanger  our  lives,  and 
where,  with  our  boat  fully  equipped  and  well  manned, 
we  could  enjoy  all  the  advantages  of  healthful  ex- 
ercise in  the  fresh  air,  without  cost,  as  long  as  the 
timbers  held  together.  A song,  a song,  was  demanded, 
and  the  Canadian  boat  song,  “Row,  Brothers,  Row!’ 
was  trolled  with  admirable  effect,  waking  the  echoes 
most  joyously  as  we  sped  along,  every  line  seem- 
ing to  accelerate  our  speed;  when,  crash  ! we  had 
reached  our  destination.  The  navy  had  encountered 
a fatal  snag,  and  its  timbers  were  literally  rent  in 
twain  by  the  impact.  It  seems  now  that  we  were 
almost  instantly  in  the  water,  swimming  for  our  lives; 
but  in  reality  there  must  have  been  some  delay,  as 
the  boat,  although  broken,  still  held  upon  the  snag,  and 
we  were  able  to  take  to  the  stream  without  undue 
haste.  All  the  boys  could  swim  tolerably  well,  ex- 
cept one  little  fellow,  who  was  taken  into  the  boat  be- 
cause no  one  could  refuse  him  a pleasure,  and  he  became 
my  special  charge  in  this  instance.  I made  him  under- 
stand that  there  was  no  cause  for  fear,  so  long  as 
he  did  not  convulsively  grasp  my  arms  in  the  water, 
and  he  behaved  like  a little  hero.  A very  few  min- 
utes found  us  all  ashore  on  the  river  bank,  not  much 
the  worse  for  our  unexpected  bath,  for  the  weather  was 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


81 


decidedly  warm,  and  we  reached  the  Institute  in  good 
time  for  supper,  after  an  afternoon  of  adventure,  which 
gave  to  every  one  of  the  boys  a truly  invincible  ap- 
petite. That  was  the  end  of  our  boat  building,  and 
our  enthusiasm  has  never  prompted  us  to  become 
competitors  for  the  honors  which  the  leading  univer- 
sities annually  contest.  The  lesson  brought  to  an 
end  was  not  spent  in  vain  upon  our  faculties. 

That  was  not  the  end  of  my  river  experiences,  for  the 
water  had  an  irresistible  charm  for  me.  I could  swim 
passably  well,  and  never  lost  a chance  to  plunge  into 
the  stream,  whether  I could  take  company  with  me 
or  not.  One  day  I had  gone  swimming  alone,  and, 
in  my  ignorance  of  the  exact  locality  to  which  I had 
floated,  found  myself  in  a kind  of  eddy  or  whirl- 
pool, on  the  far  side  of  the  stream  from  the  Insti- 
tute, between  an  island  and  the  bank.  There  were 
traditions  about  that  eddy  having  sucked  down  strong 
men  to  destruction,  and  all  the  boys  were  cautioned 
to  give  a wide  berth  to  the  miniature  maelstrom. 
There  is  no  use  attempting  to  conceal  the  fact,  I was 
alarmed,  and  my  fears  magnified  all  the  dangers  that 
surrounded  me.  I tried  to  break  through  the  charmed 
circle  by  vigorous  swimming,  but  in  spite  of  my  will 
found  every  time  that  my  course  went  with  the  cir- 
cling current.  As  I was  swept  around,  I knew  that 
there  was  one  point  at  which  the  water  was  shallow 
enough  to  permit  my  feet  to  touch  bottom,  but  every 
attempt  to  wade  ashore  was  defeated  by  the  strong 

eddy,  which  bore  me  away.  Once,  when  I repeated 

6 


82 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


that  effort,  my  foot  struck  a boulder  of  considerable 
size,  and  that  circumstance  inspired  me  with  hope. 
After  that  incident  I dived  for  the  boulder  every  time 
that  I seemed  to  be  near  the  spot,  and,  the  third  or 
rourth  time  being  successful,  seized  it,  and  carrying 
die  mass  of  stone  as  ballast  was  able  to  escape  the 
dangerous  environment.  I need  hardly  say  that  in 
recrossing  the  river  I was  careful  to  avoid  the  eddy, 
and  after  that  time  I knew,  as  it  were  by  instinct, 
how  to  keep  clear  of  the  troubled  waters. 

One  of  the  music  teachers  in  our  Institution,  and 
for  many  reasons  not  one  of  the  popular  instructors, 
albeit  an  able  man  in  his  profession,  and  painstak- 
ing in  many  ways  which  did  not  endear  him  to  the 
boys,  was  a Mr.  Campbell,  from  Boston,  who  has 
since  established  an  institution  for  the  blind  in  Lon- 
don, which  has  been  described  by  competent  visitors, 
themselves  engaged  in  like  tasks,  as  one  of  the  best 
of  its  kind  in  Europe.  Mr.  Churchman  was  not 
only  an  able  administrator,  but  he  had  the  faculty, 
in  which  many  good  men  utterly  fail,  to  select  from 
a crowd  of  applicants  for  appointment  the  men  best 
adapted  for  their  respective  duties.  Sometimes,  in 
consecjuence  of  favoritism,  he  allowed  practices  to 
grow  up  afterwards,  which  in  some  degree  marred 
their  usefulness;  but  all  his  predilections  were  in 
favor  of  able  men.  Superintendents  of  institutions 
for  the  blind  in  this  country,  and  other  instructors, 
have  made  special  visits  of  inspection  to  Mr.  Camp- 
bell’s Institution  in  London,  and  have  been  amply 


OUT  FROM  TITE  DARKNESS. 


83 


rewarded  in  witnessing  the  results  of  his  assiduous 
application.  The  wealthiest  class  of  patrons  in  the 
United  Kingdom  has  been  reached  by  the  skillful 
manipulations  of  the  principal,  and  rich  endowments 
have  almost  rained  upon  the  establishment,  which  is 
fitted  and  supplied  with  all  the  latest  appliances  for 
the  tuition  of  the  blind.  His  stay  with  us  was  very 
limited,  and  sickness  in  his  family  absorbed  much 
of  his  time;  but  the  occasional  lessons  with  which 
we  were  favored,  at  considerable  intervals,  were  of 
such  a character  as  to  impress  the  advanced  pupils 
very  favorably.  After  less  than  two  terms  of  little 
more  than  nominal  service,  Mr.  Campbell  left  the 
Institute,  and  was  heard  of  no  more  by  the  boys, 
until  the  news  came  that  he  had  taken  London  by 
storm ; had  the  press,  the  clergy  and  the  aristoc- 
racy loud  in  praise  of  his  system,  and  could  com- 
mand all  the  aid  he  desired  in  prosecuting  his  en- 
terprise. 

Professor  BischofI  was  one  of  the  pupils  in  the 
Janesville  Institution  during  my  stay,  and  from  the 
^ first  his  aptitude  for  music  commanded  the  esteem 
of  every  teacher.  Other  branches  of  study  were 
touched  by  him  in  a light  and  perfunctory  way,  just 
sufficient  to  enable  him  to  pass  muster  on  the  score 
of  general  training  and  information;  but  when  his 
attention  was  directed  to  his  favorite  theme,  his 
whole  soul  seemed  to  leap  into  the  pursuit.  As  a 
teacher  and  composer  he  has  won  great  distinction, 
and  his  power  as  an  executant  secured  for  him  years 


84 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


since  an  appointment  of  great  value,  as  organist  in 
the  city  of  Washington,  D.  C.  It  is  the  custom  of 
a certain  class  of  writers  to  assert  that  the  blind 
seldom  attain  anything  beyond  a pleasing  mediocrity 
in  their  several  pursuits,  including  music.  Perhaps 
the  critical  acumen  which  pervades  their  strictures 
on  the  sightless  will  enable  them  to  perceive  that 
humanity  in  the  aggregate  does  not  attain  even  that 
moderate  level.  There  has  been  but  one  Shakespeare, 
one  blind  Homer,  one  Virgil  and  one  blind  Milton 
for  all  the  nations;  and  there  are  millions  to-day, 
among  the  so-called  civilizing  races,  that  possess  too 
little  of  the  divine  spark  of  genius  to  be  able  to 
appreciate  the  works  which  the  masters  have  left 
for  our  instruction.  The  well  attuned  souls  that 
have  risen  to  eminence  in  music,  are  so  few  that 
they  may  be  counted  on  our  fingers;  and  one  of 
them,  Handel,  has  left  it  on  record  that  he  had 
been  charmed  by  the  executive . skill  of  blind  players. 
He  did  not  ascribe  to  the  class  a pleasing  mediocrity, 
and  he  instanced  individuals  who  approached  excel- 
lence. While  the  race  generally  can  show  so  few 
instances  of  supreme  endowment,  there  is  no  reason 
for  the  expectation  that  every  sightless  man  should, 
because  of  his  deprivation,  excel  the  average  of 
mankind;  especially  when  we  consider  that  less  than 
a century  has  elapsed  since  the  first  institute  for 
the  education  of  the  blind  was  established  in  Europe. 
Professor  BischofF  is  one  of  many  who  have  risen 
far  above  the  level  which  unjust  as  well  as  un- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


85 


friendly  critics  have  assigned  as  the  limit  which  the 
blind  can  reach;  and,  for  that  reason,  as  well  as 
on  account  of  kindly  reminiscences  connected  with 
our  intercourse  in  the  classroom  and  elsewhere,  it 
is  a pleasure  to  mention  his  attainments  and  his 
genius. 

Mr.  Churchman’s  connection  with  the  Institution 
ceased  in  1861,  when  he  went  to  Indianapolis,  Indi- 
ana, to  take  charge  of  the  Institution  for  the  blind  in 
that  city,  at  a much  more  liberal  salary.  His  fitness 
for  command  had  been  amply  demonstrated  during 
the  many  years  that  he  presided  over  the  destinies 
of  our  Institution,  and  there  were  none  to  question 
his  capacity.  For  my  own  part,  I have  ungrudg- 
ingly stated  my  conviction  as  to  his  merits  in  every 
respect;  and  nothing  but  a desire  to  tell  “ the  truth, 
the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,”  as  they 
say  in  the  courts,  has  compelled  me  to  hint  that 
the  good  man  was  not  without  his  weaknesses. 
Favoritism,  which  has  blurred  the  greatness  of  kings 
and  conquerors,  asserted  .its  power  over  him,  and  at 
times  betrayed  him  into  overt  acts,  which  his  bet- 
ter judgment,  fully  informed,  must  cause  him  to 
regret;  but  in  stating  so  much  by  way  of  censure 
on  his  career,  we  are  only  vindicating  for  him  the 
common  lot  of  mankind.  In  the  palmiest  days  of 
old  Rome,  when  great  and  wealthy  citizens  were 
being  buried  with  all  the  honors  which  had  been 
won  in  the  public  service,  it  was  the  custom  to  as- 
sign the  most  prominent  place  in  the  funeral  pro- 


86 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


cession  to  a professional  satirist  and  jester,  attired  in 
the  garb  of  his  calling,  and  to  require  from  him  a 
rehash  of  all  the  charges  that  had  ever  been  preferred 
against  the  man  who  was  then  being  honored.  We 
have  been  much  less  severe  than  such  a satirist 
might  have  been.  Mr.  Churchman  found  the  Insti- 
tution a shell,  partly  constructed  on  a faulty  plan, 
and  he  changed  its  character  completely,  leaving  the 
building  almost  entire,  well  furnished,  and  supplied 
with  modern  equipments.  He  found  only  fifteen 
pupils  in  the  establishment,  and  these  untrained  be- 
yond what  might  be  expected  from  every  person 
obeying  the  impulses  of  his  own  untutored  mind,  or 
submitting  himself  to  the  influence  of  associates;  and 
he  left  the  Institution  with  sixty  pupils,  many  of 
whom  have  attained  excellence  in  their  respective 
careers,  and  all  of  whom  were  under  firm  disci- 
pline. I am  glad  that  Mr.  Churchman  left,  be- 
cause his  departure  left  an  opening  for  a superior 
man,  full  of  the  best  impulses,  whose  influence  upon 
my  mind  and  character  was  in  every  sense  benefi- 
cial; but  my  love  for  the  superintendent  who  suc- 
ceeded him  must  not  make  me  unjust  to  the 
former  regime . 

We  come  now  to  speak  of  Superintendent  Little, 
who  was  the  successor  of  Mr.  Churchman,  and 
who  died  in  harness,  loved  and  respected  by  all 
classes  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  To  recount 
some  few  of  the  merits  of  that  gentleman  is  one  of 
the  pleasantest  duties  devolving  upon  me  in  this  it- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


87 


tie  history.  He  found  the  Institution  in  a much 
better  condition  than  prevailed  at  the  time  when 
Mr.  Churchman  assumed  control;  but  happily  he 
introduced  changes  in  administration,  which  proved 
most  beneficent.  The  rigorous  discipline,  tempered 
by  favoritism  for  some,  and  exaggerated  into  harsh- 
ness and  mistrust  for  others,  was  replaced  by  an 
equable  rule,  which  bore  alike  upon  every  person 
in  our  little  community,  and  brought  out  all  that  there 
was  of  the  best  in  every  nature.  There  were  many 
changes  made  in  the  official  staff  under  the  new 
superintendent,  and  we  had  reason  to  be  well  pleased 
in  that  respect;  but  of  course  we  could  only  spec- 
ulate and  surmise  as  to  the  causes  for  the  removals. 
One  circumstance  was  very  grateful  to  our  feelings: 
there  was  an  end  to  the  system  of  spying  and  tale- 
bearing; and  it  seemed  as  though  a father,  confi- 
dent of  love  and  obedience  in  his  circle,  would 
avail  himself  or  no  petty  scheme  of  surveillance  in 
carrying  out  his  determinate  system  of  government. 
Another  change  was  immediately  noticed.  When 
any  ot  the  pupils  transgressed  the  rules,  there  was 
no  ponderous  lecture  in  the  chapel,  to  punish  the 
innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty;  the  offender  was 
taken  apart  from  his  fellows,  and,  without  any  spe- 
cial endeavor  to  humiliate,  was  made  to  see  the 
enormity  or  his  conduct  in  a way  which  almost 
necessitated  reform.  There  was  a special  burden 
taken  from  my  shoulders,  in  the  knowledge  that  all 
old  accounts  were  squared,  and  that  my  record  for 


88 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  future  would  depend  upon  my  own  conduct. 
The  kindly  demeanor  of  Mr.  Little  made  even  the 
youngest  child  in  the  Institution  feel  easy  in  his 
presence,  as  the  inmates  had  never  felt  under  his 
predecessor;  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  only  fair  to 
say,  that  the  dignity  properly  belonging  to  his  posi- 
tion and  his  character  were  never  compromised. 
The  old  proverb  says  that  “ familiarity  breeds  con- 
tempt,” and  another  gem  compacted  of  the  world’s 
wisdom  is  uttered  in  the  words,  “no  man  is  a hero 
to  his  valet;”  but  no  boy  dreamed  of  being  familiar 
with  the  superintendent;  you  might  as  readily  imagine 
that  one  of  the  soldiers  of  the  old  guard  would  for- 
get the  rank  of  Napoleon.  He  was  a hero  and  a 
philosopher  in  our  esteem,  always  — that  worthy 
superintendent  ot  ours — and  it  was  a subtle  influence, 
the  very  essence  ot  the  nature  of  his  rule,  which, 
without  the  aid  ot  a spoken  word,  always  seemed 
to  inform  the  pupil  that  there  were  limits  that  must 
be  fully  understood  and  respected  by  him  in  his 
intercourse  with  the  principal.  He  was  the  friend 
of  every  inmate  of  the  Institution,  but  such  a friend 
as  even  the  most  forward  could  not  approach  with- 
out respect. 

When  Mr.  Little  came  to  Janesville  as  Superin 
tendent  ot  the  Institution,  he  brought  with  him,  as 
his  good  genius  and  our  best  friend,  the  present 
matron  ot  that  establishment,  Mrs.  Whiting.  She 
is  a lady  ot  medium  size,  not  strictly  beautiful,  but 
she  possesses  an  even  temper  and  pleasant  expres- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


89 


sion  of  countenance,  indicative  of  a generous  and 
loving  soul,  which  made  her  more  than  beautiful  to 
us  all.  Boys  and  girls  alike  were  participants  in 
her  kindness,  and  never  was  a case  known,  after  the 
commencement  of  her  regime , during  my  stay  in  the 
Institute,  when  sickness  or  sorrow  overtook  any  of 
the  inmates  without  the  motherly  solicitude  of  our 
good  friend  being  manifested  on  behalf  of  the  suf- 
ferer. There  had  never  been  a time  during  Mr. 
Churchman’s  rule  when  a sick  boy  or  girl  was  neg- 
lected or  left  in  want  of  needful  sustenance;  but  the 
food  of  the  heart,  that  home-like  affection  for  which 
every  true  soul  hungers,  could  not  be  sent  to  the 
sick  chamber  in  the  sufficient  array  of  dishes  which 
carried  actual  diet;  and  it  was  just  precisely  in  that 
respect  that  we  found  our  most  wonderful  change 
for  the  better.  Good  health  was  the  rule  in  the 
Institution,  but  sickness  prostrated  us  all  at  some  time 
or  another,  although  the  care  of  our  matron  protected 
us  from  many  serious  attacks,  otherwise,  humanly 
speaking,  inevitable;  and  then  the  youngster  alone 
in  the  dormitory  found  his  sickly  palate  studied  in 
the  dainty  but  simple  nick-nacks  that  tempted  his 
appetite,  while  they  spoke  of  a love  far  dearer  than 
all  the  delights  of  sense.  Hardly  one  could  be  found 
in  the  Institution  who  did  not  know,  from  actual  ob- 
servation or  experience,  that  the  silent  watches  of 
the  night  witnessed  her  devotion  to  the  duty  which 
she  had  accepted,  not  in  the  spirit  of  official  routine, 
but  as  a sacred  trust.  Moist  eyes  and  quivering  lips 


90 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


were  eloquent  in  her  praise,  for  it  was  known  and 
felt  that  she  noiselessly  visited  the  couches  of  her 
sightless  invalids,  to  ascertain  beyond  question  whether 
the  attendants  had  followed  her  instructions  in  the 
spirit  as  well  as  in  the  letter,  and  to  assure  her- 
self that  there  were  no  symptoms  more  dangerous 
than  those  with  which  she  had  already  become  fa- 
miliar. There  was  no  parade  of  affection  in  her 
manner,  no  pomp  and  circumstance  of  watching  by 
our  bedsides,  but  we  were  conscious  always  that  we 
were  being  cared  for  by  one  who  wisely  compre- 
hended our  wants,  and  was  prompt  to  relieve  each 
ailment  that  admitted  of  amelioration.  Mrs.  Whit- 
ing was  truly  a mother  to  us  all,  and  advancing  years 
have  in  no  degree  changed  her  attitude.  What 
Florence  Nightingale  was  to  the  wounded  and  sick 
soldiery  during  the  Crimean  war,  Mrs.  Whiting  was 
to  the  inmates  of  that  institution;  and  if  Scutari 
called  for  administrative  ability  on  a grander  scale, 
the  loving  kindness  of  our  matron  brought  her 
nearer  to  the  individual  heart,  because,  thanks  be  to 
the  Great  God  above  us,  boys  and  girls  are  less 
indurated  by  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  the  work-a- 
day  world  than  the  disciplined  and  hardened  sold- 
ier who  has  become  a veteran  in  the  trenches  and 
on  the  battle-fields  of  the  world. 

Mr.  Little  knew  the  value  of  the  acquisition  that 
he  brought  with  him  to  the  Institute,  even  before 
we  did,  because  circumstances  had  permitted  him  to 
see  elsewhere  that  faithfulness  and  zeal  which  we 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


91 


experienced  later;  but  it  is  not  to  be  imagined  that 
he  fully  comprehended  the  manifold  tender  relations 
and  responsibilities  of  counsellor  and  friend  outside 
the  routine  of  duty,  which  that  good  woman  as- 
sumed whenever  the  interests  of  her  youthful  charge 
urgently  demanded  her  interposition.  Her  care  was 
not  limited  to  mere  words  of  counsel,  such  as  are 
often  perfunctorily  uttered  by  the  comforters  that 
sit  around  us  echoing  the  words  of  Job’s  friends, 
when  afflictions  come  upon  us,  nor  even  to  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  invalid  confined  to  his  sick 
chamber. 

An  array  of  names  might  easily  be  given  of  boys 
and  girls,  since  arrived  at  maturity,  on  whose  behalf 
her  financial  means  were  used  without  ostentation,  to 
ward  off  disaster,  or  to  assist  toward  new  departures, 
when  the  facilities  furnished  by  the  institute  did  not 
suffice  for  the  educational  requirements  of  her  young 
friends.  We  knew  that  such  deeds  on  her  part  were 
by  no  means  uncommon,  for  the  full  hearts  of  those 
whom  she  had  benefited  could  not  restrain  utterance; 
but  the  noble  soul  of  our  benefactress  and  friend 
carried  to  the  farthest  verge  the  time  honored  maxim, 
“ Let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand 
doeth.”  Grateful  expressions,  often  monosyllabic,  on 
the  part  of  those  whom  she  befriended,  said  as  much 
as  volumes  might  have  conveyed,  as  to  her  simple 
but  effective  kindness. 

This  necessarily  brief  narration  cannot  do  full  justice 
to  the  merits  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  whose  names 


92 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


are  mentioned  in  our  round,  unvarnished  tale,  but  I 
have  been  impelled  to  speak  of  the  chief  traits  in 
the  character  of  Mrs.  Whiting,  because  her  influence 
on  my  own  life  has  been  peculiarly  pleasant  and 
beneficial,  and  because  she  is  one  of  the  very  few 
ties  that  personally  connect  the  present  Institution  with 
the  past.  Mr.  Little,  the  much  beloved  superintendent, 
died  at  the  post  of  duty,  striving  to  restore  the  estab- 
lishment to  its  pristine  beauty  and  vigor;  his  subor- 
dinates, with  whom  long  use  had  made  me  familiar, 
have  nearly  all  been  removed  to  other  spheres  of 
activity.  The  building  destroyed  by  fire  is  now  replaced 
by  another  edifice,  larger  and  more  suitable  for  its  pur- 
pose; so  that  change  has  been  the  rule.  But  Mrs. 
Whiting  remains  to  preserve  the  identity  of  the  old 
time  with  the  new,  and,  whenever  favoring  circum- 
stances permit  former  scholars  to  revisit  the  loved 
spot,  the  warm  welcome  of  that  true-hearted  friend 
is  the  brightest  charm  of  the  occasion.  The  new 
structure  seems  strange,  of  course,  to  those  who  were 
among  the  earliest  participants  in  the  benefits  which 
the  Institute  has  conferred  and  is  conferring;  but  there 
are  some  features  which  are  as  delightful  as  ever, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  there  is  not  some 
good  genius  presiding  over  that  old  swing-tree,  for 
instance,  under  whose  umbrageous,  wide-spreading 
branches  our  happy  hours  were  often  spent,  and  can  still 
be  readily  recalled.  Still  it  is  a higher  delight  to 
think  aloud,  as  it  were,  about  the  people  who  have 
been  solicitous  for  our  welfare,  and  their  names  are 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


93 


always  dear  to  our  memories;  but  our  limits  compel 
us  reluctantly  to  end  this  section  of  our  little  book, 
and  say  adieu  to  Mrs.  Whiting. 

Mrs.  Littie,  who  is  now  the  superintendent  of 
the  Institution,  having  been  wisely  called  to  that 
position  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  came  to 
the  establishment  as  a teacher  at  the  ■ beginning  of 
Mr.]  Little’s  administration  as  superintendent,  and 
performed  her  duties  with  exemplary  care.  Success- 
ful leaders  in  any  walk  of  life  are  usually  remark- 
able for  the  skill  and  prescience  with  which  they 
select  their  colleagues.  Napoleon  probably  owed  his 
statecraft,  until  after  the  victory  at  Tilsit,  to  Talley- 
rand, and  even  his  victories,  on  many  occasions,  to 
well  chosen  marshals.  Mr.  Little  surrounded  him- 
self with  men  and  women  admirably  adapted  to 
their  respective  vocations;  and  the  lady  now  under 
review,  whose  recent  appcintment  was  due  to  the 
merits  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  of  her  late  hus- 
band, as  well  as  to  her  own  eminent  qualifications, 
is  a case  in  point.  Ability  to  teach  was  not  the 
only  good  quality  that  commanded  the  esteem  of 
tile  superintendent,  and  thus  it  came  to  pass  that, 
before  the  end  of  the  initiatory  term,  the  amiable 
teacher  was  induced  to  accept  a still  more  responsi- 
ble position.  The  marriage  occurred  in  the  first 
vacation,  and  was  in  every  sense  an  occasion  of 
much  happiness  until  the  reaper  Death  garnered 
the  loved  husband  for  the  eternal  harvest.  Under 
the  supervision  of  Mrs.  Little,  the  Institution  main- 


94 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


tains  the  high  status  which  it  attained  under  the  care 
of  her  husband,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  find 
an  inmate  who  would  complain  as  to  the  manage- 
ment. For  some  years  her  presence  in  the  estab- 
lishment was  marked  by  no  incidents  of  note;  her 
duties  were  domestic,  not  public,  but  she  was  none 
the  less  felicitous  in  her  endeavors  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  pupils.  There  is  a philosophical 
axiom,  “ Happy  is  the  nation  that  has  no  history,” 
which  was  certainly  true  when  history  depended 
for  its  chiefest  charm  on  wars  of  aggression  or  defence; 
and  in  a *large  degree  the  same  apothegm  applies 
to  institutions  and  to  persons.  Until  the  fire  came 
to  destroy  the  first  Institution  building,  and  to  abridge 
the  life  of  her  dear  partner,  the  career  of  the  pres- 
ent superintendent  may  be  said  to  have  been  devoid 
of  historic  interest;  but  the  event  which  robbed  her 
of  happiness  called  upon  her  to  assume  a grave 
responsibility  which  will  write  her  name  in  the  annals 
of  the  State.  During  Mr.  Little’s  career  at  the  Insti- 
tute, his  wife  threw  her  whole  soul  with  ungrudging 
effort  into  the  Sunday-School  movement,  and  she 
was  the  means  of  giving  to  that  enterprise  an 
undreamed-of  prominence.  Some  few  months  have 
elapsed  since  it  was  my  privilege  to  visit  Janesville, 
and  it  was  a pleasure  of  no  common  order  to  observe 
that  the  fair  superintendent  has  completely  justified 
her  legion  ^of  friends  in  the  confidence  which  was 
manifested  by  her  appointment,  and  her  success  adds 
another  to  the  long  list  of  evidences  that  the  intel- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


95 


lectual  and  administrative  faculties  of  the  sex  cannot 
easily  be  overtaxed.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark 
how  many  have  been  the  bright  examples  which 
have  challenged  the  attention  of  mankind  to  woman’s 
capacity  to  rule,  yet  there  are  some  few  names  in  the 
category  which  demand  notice.  The  most  brilliant 
epochs  in  European  history  are  identified  with  the 
reigns  of  queens  such  as  Isabella  of  Castile,  under 
whose  prestige  Columbus  re-discovered  this  conti- 
nent; Elizabeth  of  England,  under  whom  the  globe 
was,  probably  for  the  first  time,  circumnavigated, 
and  the  Spanish  armada  destroyed;  and  yet  others, 
hardly  in  any  sense  less  glorious,  whose  names  might 
crowd  our  pages,  but  could  not  render  more  apparent 
the  fitness  of  the  fair  sex,  in  some  conditions  of  society, 
to  rule  and  direct  mankind,  begetting  an  emulation 
of  a most  beneficial  character  in  the  mass. 

But  I am  leaping  before  I come  to  the  stile,  and 
must  return  to  my  school  days  under  Mr.  Little’s 
administration.  We  were  expected  to  do  a certain 
amount  of  work  in  the  shops  after  having  been  in- 
structed, and  any  over -time  made  by  each  boy  was 
to  his  personal  advantage.  In  the  exercise  of  my 
privilege,  working  over  time,  using,  and  of  course 
paying  for,  the  material  furnished  by  the  Institute,  I 
had  accumulated  sixteen  dozen  brooms,  with  which 
I set  out  for  Milwaukee,  shortly  before  Christmas, 

1 86 1,  and,  partly  on  account  of  business,  partly  in 
pursuit  of  pleasure,  spent  my  vacation  in  that  city. 
Usually,  when,  after  years  of  absence,  the  child,  ad- 


96 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


vanced  into  youth  or  manhood,  returns  to  a place 
with  which  he  had  been  once  familiar,  all  the  old 
impressions  of  greatness  or  splendor  are  so  shocked  and 
belittled  by  the  visit,  that  you  almost  doubt  whether 
there  may  not  have  been  some  change  made  in  the 
cradle  of  the  city,  or  in  your  own,  so  that  the  ill- 
matching  memories  have  fallen  upon  the  wrong  spot. 
The  changes  made  in  Milwaukee  were  in  another 
direction  entirely.  The  place  had  grown  into  metro- 
politan proportions.  Its  commerce  had  distanced  all 
my  anticipations.  The  streets  were  full  of  the  bustle 
of  a prosperous  trade,  and  on  every  hand  men  moved 
with  energy  and  activity,  as  though  fortunes  depended 
upon  their  decision  of  character  at  any  moment.  My 
delight  was  unbounded,  as  new  experiences  dawned 
upon  me  continually,  and  I looked  forward  with  im- 
patience to  the  time  when  my  lines  should  be  cast 
entirely  in  such  a nerve  plexus  of  enterprise  as  the 
ever  expanding  city  presented.  The  old  swampy 
streets  in  the  lower  section,  which  had  been  my  only 
experiences  when  my  father  left  the  place,  determined 
to  return  to  Norway  if  he  could  not  otherwise  find 
solid  ground  for  his  home,  had  put  on  an  entirely 
different  aspect,  and  the  Milwaukee  in  which  I found 
myself,  away  up  toward  the  lake  front,  beyond  Astor 
street,  offered  sites  for  dwellings  never  surpassed 
in  the  world.  Many  of  the  residences  that  were  vis- 
ited by  me  during  my  stay  seemed  to  be  almost  pal- 
atial in  their  dimensions  and  appointments,  although 
I have  of  course  seen  much  grander  and  handsomer 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


97 


homes  since,  in  that  city  and  elsewhere.  The  luxu- 
rious hotel  buildings  which  now  command  the  ad- 
miration of  travelers  had  not  then  an  existence,  and 
if  they  had,  probably  my  narrow  means  would  have 
precluded  my  remaining  in  either  of  them  as  a 
guest  during  the  Christmas  time.  The  Milwaukee 
House  was  my  temporary  home,  and  there  were 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  boys  in  blue  in  the 
establishment,  with  all  of  whom  I was  immediately 
“ hail,  fellow,  well  met.”  I would  not  like  to  say  how 
much  liquor,  of  the  more  expensive  kinds,  was  con- 
sumed by  me  that  Christmas,  but  I know,  to  my 
sorrow,  that  when  the  time  arrived  for  me  to  resume 
my  studies  and  work  at  the  Institution,  I carried 
with  me  an  almost  insatiable  appetite  for  strong 
drink.  Never  since  that  time  have  I heard  the 
drunkard  denounced  for  his  vice,  by  some  vigorous- 
minded  moralist  who  had  been  spared  the  allure- 
ments which  carry  millions  to  destruction,  but  I 
have  felt  that  there  may  be  a merciful  judgment 
pronounced  upon  the  fallen  and  depraved  by  our 
All-Seeing  Father,  who  knows  by  what  insidious 
approaches  the  boat  of  life  drifts  into  the  stream 
which  whirls,  at  the  last,  the  bewildered  victim  over 
Niagara. 

The  money  in  my  possession  would  not  have  gone 
far  in  paying  for  costly  wines  and  liquors,  but  the 
truth  was  that,  during  all  the  time  of  my  stay  in 
Milwaukee,  I was  not  allowed  to  spend  one  cent 
by  my  generous  entertainers,  except  in  the  liquida- 
7 


98 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


tion  of  my  board  bill,  and  even  that  item  would 
have  been  attended  to  for  me  if  I had  not  resorted 
to  stratagem.  Poor  boys!  many  of  them  were  as 
young,  and  some  younger  than  myself,  but  in  the 
abandon  of  that  season  while  they  were  waiting  to 
be  mustered  in,  they  drank  and  sang  with  the 
merriment  of  old  soldiers  hardened  by  a score  of 
campaigns,  and  scattered  their  money  as  recklessly 
as  if  Uncle  Sam’s  resources  would  never  fail  them 
to  the  ends  of  their  lives.  With  more  than  a few 
of  that  goodly  company  that  anticipation  was  real- 
ized, for  death  found  them  on  their  first  battle-field, 
fighting  gallantly  against  their  Southern  brethren, 
who  were  as  confident  as  they  that  the  cause  which 
had  been  appealed  to  the  bloody  arbitrament  of  war 
was  smiled  upon  by  the  Supreme  Being  as  a strug- 
gle for  the  inalienable  rights  of  a brave  and  noble 
people.  I shall  never  forget  my  intercourse  with  the 
boys  in  blue,  for  it  came  near  costing  me  all  that 
is  dear  in  life;  but,  notwithstanding  the  glamour  of 
association  with  which  it  drew  me  toward  the 
Circean  cup,  which  might  have  wrecked  my  career 
for  both  lives  and  brought  down  the  gray  hairs  of 
my  father  and  mother  with  sorrow  to  the  grave, 
I have  a grateful  remembrance  of  the  unspoken 
sympathy  which  was  breathed  every  moment  in  their 
fraternal  solicitude.  Alone  in  my  sleeping-room  in 
the  Institution,  or  in  the  midst  of  my  companions 
in  classroom  and  workshop,  the  craving  for  stimu- 
lants never  left  me,  and  I never  ceased  to  devise 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


99 


schemes  for  the  gratification  of  my  insane  desire. 
Money  was  plentiful  with  me,  by  comparison  with 
what  it  had  been  in  former  times  when  I depended 
on  scanty  remittances  from  Oakland  for  almost  every 
cent;  but  liquor  could  not  be  smuggled  into  the 
Institute  without  breaking  through  the  letter  and 
the  spirit  of  the  regulations,  and  it  cost  me  a ter- 
rible pang  even  to  think  of  rebelling  against  the 
rules  which  Mr.  Little  supported  by  his  priceless 
example.  I do  not  say  that,  the  discipline  wisely 
established  by  the  superintendent  was  never  evaded; 
the  passion  was  growing  too  strong  for  conscience 
to  control;  but  the  limitations  of  my  condition  and 
the  fear  of  discovery  kept  me  within  bounds,  and 
it  was  only  when  an  excuse  could  be  made  for  a 
visit  to  Janesville,  that  I dared  indulge  to  any  con- 
siderable extent.  The  difficulties  under  which  I 
labored  all  this  time  inflamed  my  desire  continually, 
and  my  thoughts  were  ever  directed  toward  Mil- 
waukee, with  a craving  for  the  renewal  of  the  joys 
of  that  companionship  which  first  opened  my  mind 
to  the  world  outside  our  almost  cloistered  seclusion. 

One  afterftoon  in  the  following  May,  as  I was 
lying  on  my  bed  — not  sleeping,  for  my  thoughts 
were  busy  with  my  dear  old  grandfather,  long  since 
asleep  under  the  sod  in  Valders,  but  still  often 
present  to  my  mind  in  spiritual  communion,  — the 
diseased  craving  for  drink  was  upon  me  with  more 
than  its  wonted  force,  and  at  the  same  time  my 
better  self  was  in  arms  against  the  destroyer  of  my 


100 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


peace.  My  mental  and  moral  nature  warred  un- 
ceasingly against  the  dominion  of  appetite,  and  had 
so  done  at  intervals  for  many  months;  but  just  now 
there  seemed  to  be  a reinforcement  of  the  better 
influence,  as  though  some  unseen  beneficent  power 
surrounded  and  protected  me  from  evil.  I was  in 
dreamland,  although  my  senses  were  not  lulled  in 
slumber,  for  the  old  scenes  in  Valders  were  blend- 
ed with  the  more  recent  impressions  on  my  brain; 
and  when  I entered  the  cars  to  return,  it  was  with! 
a consciousness,  more  and  less  distinct  at  times, 
that  the  Atlantic  had  to  be  traversed  before  I 
could  revisit  my  old  haunts.  At  Dramman,  instead 
of  the  faces  and  scenes  which  dimly  haunt  me, 
when  the  mysterious  realms  of  memory  are  ran- 
sacked to  recall  the  past  in  Norway,  I was  aston- 
ished, and  yet  not  surprised,  by  the  recognition  of 
men,  women  and  children  whom  I knew  in  Janes- 
ville, and  could  remember  as  having  seen  at  the  rail- 
road depot,  when,  some  months  before,  I had  taken 
my  departure  for  Milwaukee.  The  vraisemblance  of 
my  former  journey  along  that  line  was  perfect,  and 
yet  there  were  differences,  as  in  the  two  sides  of 
a stereoscopic  picture,  and  the  minutest  detail  stood 
out  with  almost  painful  distinctness.  I was  going 
to  Milwaukee  once  more,  but,  as  it  seemed,  was 
only  a passenger  in  spiritual  essence,  for  none  of 
the  people  that  I knew  ever  recognized  me  by 
either  word  or  sign.  They  spoke  and  jested  with 
each  other,  but  my  presence  was  unsuspected,  and 


OUT  FROM  T1IE  DARKNESS. 


101 


the  cars  sped  onward  to  station  after  station  with 
the  regularity  of  clockwork.  Every  feature  of  the 
different  stopping  places  impressed  me  as  they  had 
done  before,  but  I was  piqued  by  the  silence  or 
unconcern  of  old  friends,  and  was  yet  too  proud  to 
challenge  attention  by  a direct  appeal.  Once  I was 
on  the  point  of  speaking;  it  seemed  as  if  I must 
speak,  or  perish  in  my  silence,  but  some  power 
restrained  me,  and,  although  my  lips  moved,  I could 
feel  that  my  tongue  uttered  no  sound.  Onward, 
still  onward!  I could  distinguish  the  throbs  of  the 
steam  power  by  which  we  traveled,  and  could 
reckon  with  absolute  certainty  upon  the  recurrence 
of  a sound  which  told  me  that  one  of  the  wheels 
under  our  carriage  was  broken ; and  I wondered 
why  no  person  in  the  throng  besides  myself  observed 
the  peculiar  intonation  of  that  fractured  wheel.  We 
reached  Milwaukee,  but  the  depot  seemed  to  have 

undergone  some  change,  and  I was  glad  when  my 

« 

place  had  been  secured  in  the  old-time  omnibus 
which  was  to  convey  me  to  the  hotel.  Arrived  at 
the  familiar  spot,  I had  no  reason  to  complain  of 
want  of  recognition.  The  old  house  was  ablaze  with 
light  and  merriment  from  basement  to  roof-tree,  and 
from  every  door  streamed  forth  a joyous  crowd,  with 
my  name  upon  their  lips.  I was  welcomed  as  though 
my  coming  had  long  been  an  object  of  desire,  yet 
as  though  it  had  been  feared  I should  never  fulfill 
that  expectation.  Thoughts  of  a carouse,  in  which 
seas  of  liquor  should  minister  to  our  merriment,  almost 


102 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


maddened  me  with  delight,  and  yet  at  the  same  in- 
stant my  better  angel  whispered,  “To  drink  is  to 
die.”  I looked  again,  and  behold,  the  boys  in  blue 
were  not  the  dear  fellows  who  once  made  me  their 
comrade,  but  hateful  simulacra  of  my  friends;  and 
there  was  a ringing  dissonance  in  their  voices, 
which  warned  me  to  beware.  I entered  the  build- 
ing by  doors  which  were  new  and  strange,  and  at 
every  step  discovered  some  added  splendor,  which 
could  not  compensate  for  the  absence  of  that  honest 
and  manly  regard  which  had  made  my  former  visit  so 
entrancingly  pleasant.  I was  urged  to  drink  at  every 
step,  with  every  accent  of  entreaty  and  command, 
but,  alarmed  by  my  surroundings,  the  appetite  which 
was  once  all  powerful  had  died  away,  and  I would 
not  have  sipped  one  glass  to  win  a kingdom.  There 
was  a banquet  more  than  regal  in  its  magnificence, 
and  for  me  the  place  of  honor  had  been  reserved; 
but,  as  I looked  a second  time  at  every  dish  of 
burnished  gold,  I saw  beneath  the  show  of  delicate 
viands  that  every  particular  charm  had  drink  for 
its  base,  and,  without  the  action  of  my  will,  I found 
myself  presently  away  from  the  table  and  the  room, 
wandering  alone  in  dimly  lighted  passages.  Then 
again,  I was  once  more  surrounded  by  the  boys,  but 
they  mocked  and  jeered  me  when  I refused  to  join 
them  in  their  orgies,  and  it  was  a pleasure  to  escape 
from  their  boisterous  mirth.  There  are  parts  of  that 
dream  which  evade  my  every  attempt  at  description. 
I feel  that  my  words  are  inadequate  to  convey  even 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


10. 


a faint  impression  of  the  agony  of  soul  which  cov- 
ered me  with  beaded  drops  of  perspiration  as  I lay 
upon  my  bed,  but  I must  leave  unsaid  the  horrors 
of  that  vision.  I stood  at  last  by  the  door  of  the 
banquet  hall,  a looker-on  upon  the  scene  from  which 
I had  escaped,  and  in  the  place  which  had  been 
mine  a being  of  majestic  figure  and  malignant  aspect 
spoke  of  me  as  a soul  that  must  be  captured.  It 
was  terrible  to  hear  him  blame  his  followers  for 
having  heaped  contumely  upon  me,  because  in  so  doing 
they  had  armed  me  against  their  solicitations.  I was 
awake,  broad  awake,  but  dazed  and  stupefied  by  my 
dream.  I had  seen  the  vice  and  hate  which  drink 
engenders,  and  the  fearful  ingenuity  of  the  depraved 
to  win  converts  to  their  abhorrent  system,  presented 
in  that  vision  as  my  waking  hours  had  never  pictured 
them,  and  a bonanza  would  not  have  tempted  me 
to  drink  again.  Many  years  have  passed  since  then; 
my  friends  often  joke  with  me  now  about  the  silver 
threads,  which  are,  I suppose,  usurping  dominion  on 
my  brow;  but  the  influence  of  that  dream  has  never 
died  out;  and  somehow,  whenever  the  scenes  of  that 
fantastic  panorama  have  been  recalled,  the  kindly  gaze 
of  my  grandfather  has  seemed  to  rest  upon  me  as  it 
did  at  the  time  of  our  parting  in  Valders,  when  I 
was  a child.  The  power  which  has  been  wielded 
for  good  over  my  life,  by  the  memory  of  my  grand- 
father, whom  I have  never  seen  save  in  dreams  and 
visions  since  I was  three  years  old,  has  often  been 
a subject  for  wonderment  in  my  maturer  years,  but 


104 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  mysteries  that  subsist  between  the  material  and 
the  spiritual  natures  blended  in  mankind  are  inscru- 
table. It  is  a blessing  for  us  all  that  we  are  capable 
with  the  laureate  Tennyson  of  “ Believing  where 
we  cannot  prove.” 

My  labors  in  the  Institution  were  now  resumed 
with  more  energy  than  ever.  I sought,  in  assidu- 
ous study  or  in  continuous  occupation  in  the  work- 
shop, to  drown  the  yearning  for  excitement  which 
had  recently  asserted  itself  as  a new  feature  in  my 
life.  My  resolution  to  launch  out  into  the  busy 
world  assumed  absolute  sway  over  me,  and  I be- 
came impatient  as  I had  never  been  before  in  the 
same  degree  of  the  idea  which  prevailed  at  home 
in  Oakland,  that  I must  remain  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter  a non-producer,  dependent  on  the  generosity 
of  others  even  for  my  sustenance.  That  man,  young 
or  old,  is  far  gone  on  the  downward  grade,  who 
can  contemplate  with  contentment  the  condition  of  a 
pauper  as  his  own.  The  coarsest  bread  and  scanti- 
est raiment  won  by  one’s  own  exertion  satisfies  the 
demand  of  the  soul  better  than  the  most  luxurious 
provision  which  charity  may  furnish  to-day  and 
caprice  may  withhold  to-morrow.  I had  no  thought 
then,  and  never  have  had,  that  my  friends  would 
grudge  me  that  portion  of  their  substance  which 
might  be  needed  to  sustain  me  in  comfort.  Self- 
denial  in  many  particulars  had  been  exercised  by  them 
in  order  to  gain  for  me  the  advantages  which  I 
was  even  then  enjoying,  and  there  was  no  uncer- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


105 


tain  tone  in  their  words  of  assurance  that  I should 
never  want  as  long  as  the  old  farm  sufficed  to  sup- 
ply the  daily  needs  of  the  family;  but  the  more  I 
saw  and  knew  of  the  generous  natures  which  my 
unfortunate  condition  had  so  severely  taxed  in  the 
past,  the  more  determined  did  I become  that  my 
own  right  arm,  favored  with  the  training  which  had 
been  afforded  me,  should  win  my  bread  in  the 
future.  This  impulse  made  me  a more  assiduous 
workman.  Over-time  was  improved  to  its  fullest 
limit,  and  broom- making,  the  only  handicraft  with 
which  I had  become  practically  familiar,  offered 
at  that  time  better  remuneration  than  has  since  ruled 
in  that  calling.  It  was  war  time,  and  all  indus- 
tries were  well  rewarded,  so  that  there  need  be  no 
fear  that  willing  hands  would  fail  to  procure  bread. 
We  were  exempt  from  the  demands  for  new  levies 
which  emanated  from  the  executive  at  Washington 
with  significant  frequency,  for  nature  had  made  us 
non-combatants;  but  one  of  my  classmates,  a young 
man  fearless  in  word  and  deed,  predicted,  shortly 
after  the  affair  at  Fredericksburg,  that  we  should 
all  be  wanted  for  high  commands  because  of  the 
predilection  for  blind  leaders  which  had  been  ex- 
emplified in  costly  and  destructive  operations  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  war  up  to  that  date.  I had  little 
relish  for  satire,  and  too  little  knowledge  of  the  state 
of  parties  to  pronounce  on  the  great  questions  which 
were  agitating  the  nation,  but  my  sympathies  were 
with  the  boys  in  blue,  first,  last,  and  all  the  time 


JOB 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  war  lasted.  It  was  not  until  many  years  later 
that  I learned  how  chivalrous  and  disinterested, 
however  much  mistaken,  had  been  the  motives  and 
the  deeds  of  the  boys  in  gray.  The  nation  that 
could  man  and  equip  two  such  immense  armies,  to 
fight  for  an  idea,  even  though  the  war  itself  was 
fratricidal,  need  never  fear  the  arms  of  European 
kingdoms,  provided,  always,  that  the  quarrel  should  be 
of  such  a character  as  would  fuse  North  and  South 
into  patriotic  unity  against  the  invader.  Party 
feeling  ran  high  in  Wisconsin,  as  well  as  in  other 
States  which  were  faithful  to  the  Union.  There 
were  terribly  exciting  scenes  sometimes,  even  in  the 
usually  peaceful  city  of  Janesville.  I had  gone  into 
the  city  one  day  on  business  of  a personal  nature, 
and  was  detained  later  than  usual,  when,  toward 
evening,  I found  myself  in  the  midst  of  a throng 
of  exasperated  men,  evidently  supporters  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  who  were  lashed  almost  to  madness  by  a 
supporter  of  the  other  side,  a man  named  Rogers, 
a well  known  resident,  whose  disloyalty  was  con- 
sidered treasonable  enough  to  entitle  him  to  a short 
shrift  and  a shorter  rope  attached  to  the  nearest 
lamp  post.  The  words  and  bearing  of  Mr.  Rogers 
were  such  as  few  crowds  would  have  endured  at 
such  a time,  but  he  was  evidently  unacquainted  with 
fear,  and  his  self-possession  won  him  respect  even 
in  the  minds  of  his  enemies.  Years  afterwards  I 
heard  of  him  as  mayor  of  the  city  in  which  he 
came  so  near  being  hung.  His  style  of  eloquence 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


107 


had  undergone  few  changes,  and  I have  many  times, 
while  listening  to  his  speeches,  wondered  what  was 
the  magic  that  saved  him  from  death  that  evening. 
He  has  a tongue  as  bitter  as  gall,  and  a memory 
that  never  loses  an  item  or  a phrase  that  will  em- 
barrass an  opponent.  The  civilization  of  the  North- 
west was  severely  tried  by  men  of  that  type  all 
through  the  war,  and  it  is  creditable  to  those  con- 
cerned that  Judge  Lynch  was  so  seldom  invoked. 

I speedily  acquired  great  proficiency  as  a maker 
of  brooms,  being  able  to  turn  them  out  of  hand 
rapidly  and  well ; and  the  results  of  my  over  - time 
work  kept  me  well  supplied  with  clothing  and 
other  requirements,  so  that  the  resources  of  Oak- 
land ceased  to  be  taxed  in  any  degree  for  my  main- 
tenance. My  father  did  not  like  the  idea  of  his 
eldest  son  depending  on  the  manufacture  of  brooms 
for  a livelihood,  but  I found  an  independence  that 
was  intensely  delightful  in  the  prosecution  of  my 
calling,  and  was  anxious  for  the  time  to  afrive 
that  would  set  me  free  to  make  a fortune  by  my 
simple  craft.  Had  the  superintendent  been  less  de- 
serving of  the  regard  of  the  inmates,  many  of  the 
boys  who  were  of  the  same  mind  with  myself  would 
have  taken  French  leave;  but  such  an  unceremo- 
nious departure  could  not  be  dreamed  of  under  the 
kindly  rule  of  Mr.  Little.  We  had  learned  to  trust 
our  own  powers  perhaps  too  much,  for  I have  since 
that  time  found  that  there  are  limits  to  my  nerv- 
ous energy,  an  idea  which  had  not  dawned  upon 


108 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


me  when  my  days  at  the  Institution  were  being 
numbered.  It  was  a common  belief  among  us  that 
the  nerve  force  which  in  normal  conditions  is  distrib- 
uted over  all  the  senses,  is  in  the  abnormal  state 
of  the  blind  concentrated  upon  the  remaining  senses; 
so  that  within  our  limitations  we  were  invincible. 
That  faith  has  been  severely  tried  and  chastened 
by  suffering,  so  that  it  has  been  modified  in  gen- 
eral application  considerably;  but  in  a few  individual 
cases  it  still  has  the  full  assent  of  my  faculties. 
One  of  the  professors  of  music,  whose  term  at  the 
Institution  commenced  long  after  my  time,  is  per- 
haps the  most  extraordinary  man  it  has  ever  been  my 
good  fortune  to  meet.  His  power  as  a musician 
was  truly  charming,  and  his  company  was  sought 
by  the  elite  of  the  neighboring  cities.  Sitting  down 
to  the  instrument,  he  commenced  every  exercise  of 
his  powers  in  instrumentation  by  describing  in  well 
chosen  words  the  purpose  of  the  composer,  and  his 
methods  illustrated  in  the  piece;  and,  having  thus 
{prepared  the  minds  of  his  hearers,  he  went  on  to 
fulfill  the  programme  with  marvelous  success.  Pro- 
fessor Von  Cleve,  the  gentleman  to  whom  I have 
referred,  was  not  only  a musician;  his  powers  as 
a literary  man  have  been  tested  by  some  of  the 
most  competent  critics  in  the  Northwest,  to  my 
knowledge,  and  he  was  never  found  at  fault,  as  I 
have  been  assured,  save  in  trivial  details  purely  ver- 
bal. One  of  the  best  read  men  associated  with  the 
press  in  Chicago,  a gentleman  in  his  fifth  decade, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


109 


and  a student  from  his  boyhood,  told  me  that  dur- 
ing a visit  of  many  days’  duration  he  purposely 
varied  the  conversation  with  Mr.  Von  Cleve,  from 
poetry  to  philosophy,  science  and  history,  with  all 
the  advantages  of  a well  stocked  library  within 
arm’s  length;  yet  he  never  referred  to  any  passage 
of  marked  beauty,  precision  or  force  in  modern 
writers  within  that  wide  range,  without  finding  the 
professor  able  to  complete  the  sentence  or  para- 
graph just  as  though  the  book  lay  open  before  a 
man  blessed  with  every  sense  in  well  cultured  vigor. 
His  memory  was  truly  wonderful,  and  it  was  fre- 
quently exercised  in  such  a way  as  to  convince 
every  beholder  that  it  could  be  relied  upon,  with- 
out special  preparation  or  “ cramming,”  for  an  occa- 
sion. As  one  of  the  leading  members  of  a literary 
society  connected  with  All  Souls’  Church  in  Janes- 
ville, in  which  every  member  had  allotted  to  him 
or  her  some  branch  of  the  subject  set  for  discussion 
— say,  ' for  instance,  the  life  and  works  of  Dante, 
Petrarch,  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Dryden,  Virgil,  Long- 
fellow, Bryant  and  others; — the  task  by  common 
consent  assigned  to  the  professor  was  to  sum  up 
and  dissect  the  papers  submitted  by  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  club;  his  exegesis,  without  the  aid  of 
one  note,  being  always  the  most  enjoyable  part  of 
the  evening’s  work.  His  mode  of  study  was  ad- 
dressed necessarily  to  the  cultivation  of  memory. 
Average  students  are  readers  merely,  and  they  read 
too  much,  just  as  everybody  eats  more  than  can 


110 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


be  assimilated.  The  man  who  devotes  himself,  for 
instance,  to  newspaper  reading,  cultivates  an  omnivo- 
rous appetite,  which  devours  with  equal  facility  the 
dimensions  of  the  last  great  gooseberry,  the  phenomena 
of  solar  eclipses,  the  latest  scandals  in  church  and 
state,  proposals  for  phonetic  spelling,  additional  par- 
ticulars as  to  the  death  of  the  Prince  Imperial 
among  the  Zulus,  the  drunken  vagaries  of  the  King 
of  Burmah,  and  the  exploits  of  Mexican  Greasers, 
until  he  is  not  sure  whether  the  spots  on  the  sun 
are  caused  by  the  Zulu  assegai,  and  his  ideas  be- 
come mixed  in  inexplicable  confusion.  Von  Cleve 
worked  by  system  towards  the  best  ends.  The 
book  upon  which  he  had  entered  was  entitled  to 
so  many  hours  per  day,  and  at  the  appointed  time 
the  reader  regularly  employed  for  the  service  began 
the  literary  exercises,  none  of  which  w’ere  ever  omitted 
save  in  the  last  extremity.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
there  is  a man  in  the  United  States,  of  his  age, 
better  qualified  than  my  friend  Von  Cleve  for  the 
professor’s  chair  in  a first-class  institution  in  which 
literary  culture  is  the  main  purpose.  He  is  now 
in  Cincinnati,  connected  with  one  of  the  leading 
journals  as  literary  critic;  and  it  needs  no  prophet 
to  predict  that,  if  his  life  is  spared  to  the  ordinary 
span  of  existence,  his  attainments  will  command  for 
him  the  highest  honors  possible  within  his  lines  of 
study,  irrespective  of  the  peculiar  claims  which  the 
consensus  of  mankind  has  allowed  to  inhere  in  the 
mental  labors  of  the  blind. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Ill 


Continuous  and  remunerative  work,  which  exercised 
all  the  powers  of  mind  and  body,  did  me  much 
service.  When  a sick  man,  laden  down  with  wealth, 
called  upon  that  eccentric  physician,  Dr.  Abernethy, 
in  London,  to  procure  advice  as  to  the  treatment  of 
his  dyspepsia,  the  apostle  of  health  brusquely  recom- 
mended him  to  “ live  upon  twelve  cents  per  day,  and 
earn  it.”  We  actually  earned  all  the  food  we  con- 
sumed, and  enough  besides  to  pay  for  the  accom- 
modation that  was  afforded;  so  that  our  appetites 
were  not  an  affliction  to  the  State,  although  the  cook’s 
arms  must  have  been  tired  some  days  before  we  had 
completed  our  evening  meal.  To  this  day  the  habits 
of  industry  which  were  formed  in  the  Institute  have 
never  been  lost;  and  it  is  still  a pleasure  to  work, 
irrespective  of  the  fact  that  it  is  only  by  labor  of 
body  and  brain  that  I can  live  and  supply  the  needs 
of  my  little  family.  In  continuous  toil,  provided 
that  it  is  not  carried  beyond  the  powers  of  physical 
endurance,  which  vary  with  every  being,  there  is  a 
balm  which  enables  us  to  forget  those  shortcomings 
and  defects  which  cannot  be  remedied  by  personal 
effort;  and  therein  is  an  additional  reason,  if  any 
could  be  wanted,  why  the  system  of  industrial  train- 
ing among  the  blind  should  be  carried  as  far  as 
circumstances  will  permit.  My  own  condition  at 
home,  before  my  introduction  to  the  Institute,  may 
be  taken  as  an  indication  of  the  consequences  of 
inaction  generally,  and  almost  every  blind  boy  and 
girl  has  passed  through  a somewhat  similar  experi- 


112 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


ence,  more  or  less  extended.  The  faculties  unused 
during  many  years  longer  would  have  become  dwarfed, 
but  there  is  a large  spice  of  truth  in  the  line  of 

the  old  hymn,  “ Satan  will  find  mischief  still  for  idle 
hands  to  do.”  I was  at  home  during  part  of  every 
year,  but  I have  not  mentioned  my  goings  and 
comings  on  such  occasions,  unless  there  happened  to 
be  some  incident  worthy  of  note  in  my  travels.  One 
season  I was  at  home  when  the  steam  threshing 

machine  was  at  work  in  our  yard,  and  of  course 

all  the  neighbors  were  on  hand  to  help,  each  in  his 
turn  giving  and  taking  just  such  aid  from  every  farmer 
within  a radius  of  some  miles.  One  of  the  neigh- 
bors was  very  cross-grained,  and  whenever  I hap- 
pened in  his  way,  no  matter  how  good  were  my 

motives,  he  was  sure  to  let  drop  some  word  or  phrase 
which  stung  me  to  the  quick.  Such  conduct  on  his 
part  could  not  go  unrewarded,  and  my  ingenuity  was 
sufficient  for  the  occasion.  The  straw,  as  it  fell  from 
the  machine,  was  heaped  up  loosely  in  an  immense 
pile,  covering  an  extensive  area  of  ground.  The 
hurry  and  systematic  confusion  of  the  times  permit- 
ted me  to  come  and  go  just  as  I pleased,  unless  I 
ran  against  my  enemy,  so  I avoided  him  with  labor- 
ious circumspection.  Any  of  the  others  in  the  yard 
were  my  friends,  and  would  have  done  much  to  spare 
me  pain  or  sorrow.  Availing  myself  of  my  oppor- 
tunities, I was  soon  the  unsuspected  possessor  of  a 
ferocious  darning-needle,  and  burrowing  under  the 
straw,  towards  the  point  where  the  grumbling  tones 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


113 


of  that  disagreeable  voice  told  me  that  my  adversary 
was  at  work.  I could  move  from  place  to  place 
under  the  straw  with  nearly  as  much  ease  as  if  no 
straw  had  been  there.  There  was  no  difficulty  as 
to  breathing,  and  no  weight  to  carry. 

The  movement  under  the  surface  did  not  disturb 
the  mass  perceptibly,  I suppose;  or  if  it  did,  there 
was  such  a continuous  action  of  the  machine  and 
fall  of  new  material,  that  no  one  noticed  the  tiny 
upheaval.  Arrived  at  the  desired  spot,  I had  no  dif- 
ficulty in  thrusting  that  bloodthirsty  darning-needle 
into  the  calf  of  the  grumbler’s  leg,  and  of  course 
I retired  immediately,  taking  the  weapon  with  me. 
The  amazed  cry  of  that  man  as  he  fell  to  the  ground, 
assuring  every  one  that  a snake  had  bitten  him,  was 
a wonderful  satisfaction  to  me,  but  I had  to  restrain 
my  laughter  and  make  tracks,  as  more  than  a dozen 
hands  were  busy  in  pursuit  of  the  snake,  and  it 
would  not  do  for  me  to  be  found  assuming  the  role 
of  that  anguis  in  herba . I was  far  enough  from 
the  scene  of  disturbance  to  have  no  difficulty  in 
evading  detection,  and  after  a little  while  all  the 
men  commenced  to  jest  the  surly  neighbor  about  the 
noise  he  made  without  cause.  He  could  feel  that 
he  was  unjustly  doubted,  and  there  was  the  puncture 
plain  enough  to  be  seen,  but  the  rest  of  the  men 
resolved  to  doubt  their  own  eyes,  since  they  could 
not  find  the  snake.  Work  was  resumed  after  some 
whisky,  prescribed  for  the  snake  bite,  had  been  freely 

partaken  by  almost  every  one  on  the  ground,  and 

8 


114 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


before  long  the  surly  philosopher  was  as  oblivious 
to  his  foregone  agony  as  any  man  in  the  party.  Made 
more  daring  than  ever  by  impunity,  I inserted  my 
darning-needle  once  more,  and  the  former  scene  of 
confusion  was  re-enacted,  with  similar  results.  The 
cry,  “ a snake ! a snake ! ” raised  a third  time,  pro- 
voked a boisterous  peal  of  laughter,  in  which,  regard- 
less of  all  risks,  my  voice  joined,  and  my  adversary 
recognized  the  sound.  Luckily  for  me  the  others 
were  all  laughing,  so  that  none  corroborated  his 
assertion.  The  charge  against  me  was  not  believed, 
but  I found  it  prudent  to  change  my  location,  as  the 
straw  was  once  more  wildly  scattered,  as  well  by 
those  who  asserted  my  innocence  as  by  the  grum- 
bler and  his  friends.  The  game  had  been  carried 
far  enough,  and  I lay  there  still  as  a mouse  until 
the  investigation  terminated.  Soon  after,  when  all 
hands  were  busy  with  the  machine  once  more,  I 
stole  away  unperceived,  and,  creeping  into  the  adja- 
cent woods,  did  not  appear  until  supper  was  nearly 
consumed.  My  innocent,  unsuspecting  way,  and  the 
fact  that  I came  from  a distance,  and  from  a direc- 
tion remote  from  the  barnyard,  saved  me  from  inter- 
rogation ; but  my  censor  was  a strong  believer  in 
my  guilt,  and  he  obstreporously  asserted  that  the 
father  of  all  evil  did  the  mischief  if  I was  not  the 
perpetrator. 

I must  not  omit  to  mention  here  and  now  my 
good  horse,  the  companion  I could  always  trust  to 
carry  me  to  accustomed  haunts  without  the  slight- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


115 


est  direction  from  my  hand.  Coming  to  the  sound 
of  my  voice  whenever  I was  near  enough  to  make 
him  him  hear  me,  he  would  stand  like  a statue 
until  I was  on  his  back  and  gave  him  the  word. 
If  I wanted  to  go  anywhere  else  instead  of  to  the 
nearest  town  (Christiana),  it  was  necessary  for  me 
to  turn  him  in  the  direction  I wished  to  travel  when 
the  bend  in  the  road  was  reached,  and  he  would 
strike  off  across  lots  without  compunction.  Custom- 
arily my  journey  was  to  the  post  town  and  back 
again;  and  the  faithful  creature  would  pull  up  at 
the  door  of  the  postoffice  store  as  steadily  as  though 
he  knew  that  he  was  trusted.  It  was  unnecessary 
to  make  him  a fixture  at  the  door,  because  he  under- 
stood the  business  quite  as  well  as  I did,  and  that 
precaution  would  have  seemed  like  a deliberate  insult 
to  his  sagacity.  I have  heard  of  men  who  liked 
to  claim  for  themselves  horse  sense,  but  have  never 
met  any  of  that  type  of  mankind  who  could  be 
trusted  by  me  as  implicitly  as  my  quadrupedal  friend. 
Shortly  after  the  war  broke  out,  and  while  I was 
away  at  the  Institute,  the  noble  fellow  was  pur- 
chased, with  many  other  horses  in  the  neighborhood, 
for  Uncle  Sam’s  service.  When  I learned,  some 
time  after  the  sale,  that  he  was  gone,  my  grief  was 
uncontrollable.  But  there  was  no  use  in  crying 
after  spilled  milk,  as  the  proverb  says,  and  I eventu- 
ally sought  consolation  elsewhere.  Once,  when  an 
opportunity  offered,  one  of  our  cows  lying  in  my 
path  asleep,  so  that  I stumbled  over  her,  I seated 


116 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


myself  on  her  back,  confident  that  I could  tame 
Bucephalus.  The  poor  creature  was  wild  with  fright, 
and  my  efforts  to  sooth  or  control  her  were  abortive. 
Away  she  went  on  a mad  gallop,  and  I had  sense 
enough  to  know  that  a comfortable  seat  on  the  sod 
would  be  an  admirable  exchange  for  the  distinction 
I was  then  enjoying,  but  my  knowledge  of  the  local- 
ity was  so  much  disturbed  by  her  gyrations,  that 
to  save  my  life  I could  not  tell  in  what  direction 
we  were  heading.  The  pace  was  killing,  and  I 
strongly  suspect  that  my  attitude  on  cowback  was 
not  captivating;  but  it  is  always  better  to  bear  the 
ills  you  have  than  fly  to  others  that  you  know  not 
of;  so  I stuck  to  my  dangerous  elevation  for  all 
that  it  was  worth.  Rather  more  than  a mile  from 
the  house  was  a deep  gravel  pit,  some  distance  off 
the  road,  and  for  that  unpleasant  jumping-off  place 
the  alarmed  steed  ran  with  always  increasing  impetus. 
I knew  nothing  of  the  pitfall  until  her  ladyship 
made  the  plunge,  and  I was  sent  plowing  into  the 
gravel  on  the  opposite  slope,  my  mouth  full  of  the 
produce  of  the  pit,  my  face,  hands  and  knees  excori- 
ated, and  my  mind  made  up,  beyond  all  likelihood 
of  change,  against  embracing  any  more  such  opjDor- 
tunities  as  dreaming  cows.  There  were  great  dilapida- 
tions to  be  repaired  in  my  apparel  before  I could 
present  myself  again  in  society,  but  my  physical 
damages  saved  me  from  censure  on  the  clothes  account. 

Longfellow,  in  his  exquisite  poem,  u Miles  Standish,” 
describes  the  pride  of  a bovine  steed  fitly  capari- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


117 


soned,  and  provided  by  John  Alden  to  carry  his 
bride  from  the  church  to  her  home  after  the  mar- 
riage; but  perhaps  the  cow  that  ran  away  with  me 
made  comparisons  to  my  disadvantage,  as  certainly  my 
appearance  is  not  nearly  so  prepossessing  as  it  may 
be  supposed  that  of  “ Priscilla,  the  Puritan  maiden,” 
was.  The  poet  has  cast  such  a glamour  of  genius 
around  Priscilla,  that  she  lives  in  my  mind  as  almost 
an  impersonation  of  the  line  from  Keats, 

“ A thing  of  beauty  is  a joy  forever.” 

Speaking  of  “ Miles  Standish”  reminds  me  that 
the  Alden  family  is  well  represented  in  Wisconsin 
by  men  and  women  of  high  culture  and  good  lives. 
It  was  my  fortune  to  be  thrown  into  association 
with  that  distinguished  line  on  several  occasions,  and 
it  was  easy  to  ascertain  that  the  vigor  and  the  tone 
of  the  Mayflower  still  survives.  I used  to  feel  very 
glad  that  Priscilla  did  not  accept  the  offer  of  that 
doughty  fighting  man,  who  deputed  his  friend  Alden 
to  make  his  proposal  in  due  form,  and  I have  always 
admired  the  courage  which  prompted  the  maiden 
to  say  to  the  matrimonial  ambassador,  u Why  don’t 
you  speak  for  yourself,  John?”  The  Alden  family 
in  Wisconsin,  some  branches  of  which  are  in  Janes- 
ville and  some  in  Madison,  treasure  among  their 
heirlooms  a silver  brooch  said  to  have  been  the  prop- 
erty of  Priscilla,  and  to  have  been  worn  by  her  as 
a fastening  for  some  portion  of  her  clothing  when 
the  Pilgrims  were  facing  the  icy  winds  of  the  Christ- 


118 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


mas  season  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  I handled  the  tiny 
jewel  with  reverence,  as,  although  its  argentiferous 
value  might  not  be  great,  I could  not  disassociate 
the  gem  from  the  wearer,  and  I know  that  if  it 
were  mine  it  should  not  be  parted  with  for  twenty 
times  its  weight  in  virgin  gold.  Certainly  the  pres- 
ent owners  would  not  be  easily  induced  to  sell  that 
patent  of  nobility,  which  indicates  their  direct  des- 
cent from  ancestors  whose  names  will  live  in  the 
minds  of  men  long  after  the  roll  of  Battle  Abbey 
shall  have  been  forgotten.  In  reading  “Miles  Stand- 
ish,”  or  rather  in  having  it  read  for  me  — for  I 
always  find  myself  speaking  of  what  I have  read 
and  what  I have  seen  as  though  my  power  to  see 
was  as  good  as  that  of  any  of  my  neighbors  — 
there  were  two  or  three  facts  that  seemed  to  me 
singular,  and  as  soon  as  I had  the  opportunity  to 
dive  into  the  living  traditions  of  the  Alden  family, 
these  problems  were  brought  out  for  solution.  The 
magnanimity  of  that  brave  little  soldier,  Miles  Stand- 
lsh,  in  blessing  the  bride  whom  he  supposed  to 
have  been  stolen  from  him  by  John  Alden,  turns 
out  to  have  been  a poetic  charm,  lent  by  the  genius 
of  Longfellow.  Standish,  generalissimo  and  field 
marshal  though  he  was,  of  the  New  England  forces, 
sulked  nearly  all  his  lifetime  with  Priscilla,  and 
was  never  reconciled  to  John.  There  is  more  beauty 
and  moral  grandeur  in  the  ideal  Standish,  but  the 
natural  man  seldom  rises  to  such  heights  as  might 
enable  him  to  look  down  with  pleasure  upon  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


119 


union  of  his  lady-love  with  another.  The  second 
point  upon  which  I found  myself  seeking  enlight- 
enment was  the  surname  of  the  Puritan  maiden. 
My  curiosity  was  piqued  by  the  studied  silence  of 
Longfellow  in  that  particular,  and,  therefore,  almost 
my  first  inquiry  was  put  in  this  form:  “Why  was 
the  beautiful  young  woman  described  as  c Priscilla, 
the  Puritan  maiden,’  and  nothing  more?  Surely, 
her  father  and  mother  bore  some  name.”  The 
patronymic  was  then  revealed  to  me,  and  I thought 
that  it  never  could  pass  from  my  memory;  but 
somehow  I cannot  recall  the  name  now.  It  was  of 
the  same  class  with  Muggins  or  Buggins;  not  the 
“ Mogyns  de  Mogyns”  of  which  Thackeray  made 
fun,  but  the  plainest,  homeliest  kind  of  Anglo-Saxon 
surname,  serving  only  in  her  case  to  illustrate  the  line, 

“ The  rose  by  any  other  name  would  smell  as  sweet.’* 

The  Puritans  were  not  usually  possessed  of  aris- 
tocratic surnames,  although  some  of  the  aristocracy 
took  hold  upon  the  movement,  and  lent  to  it  in  its 
early  days  the  nobility  of  their  characters.  Sir  John 
Eliot,  the  founder  of  the  noble  family  of  St.  Ger- 
mains, was  a Puritan  of  the  noblest  type.  So  also 
were  Hampden,  and  John  Pym,  and  Cromwell,  and 
Sir  Harry  Vane,  and  John  Milton,  with  a host  of 
others,  when  the  nation  was  drifting  toward  the 
war,  which  first  shattered  for  the  Stuart  family  in 
England  the  idea  of  the  divine  right  of  kings; 
but  in  the  beginning  of  Puritanism,  if  we  leave  out 


120 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  account,  as  I suppose  we  must,  the  origin  of  the 
Lollard  movement  in  the  preachings  and  translations 
of  John  Wycliffe,  under  the  patronage  of  John  of 
Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  the  seed  fell  in  the 
highways  and  byways,  among  farmers  and  their  serv- 
ants, among  humble  workmen  in  towns,  among 
enthusiastic  students  in  colleges  and  universities;  and 
when  the  converts  to  the  living  faith  came  in  with  their 
lives  in  their  hands,  willing  to  die  the  death  rather 
than  forfeit  their  hold  on  Christ  by  denying  Him, 
the  name  of  the  faithful  man  was  of  no  moment. 
Praise-God  Barebones  has  been  made  the  laughing- 
stock of  royalist  writers  and  readers  for  many  gener- 
ations, because  of  his  patronymic  and  given  names; 
but  the  facts  that  he  sat  in  one  of  Cromwell’s  parlia- 
ments, and  that  he  had  the  courage,  after  Cromwell’s 
death  and  the  failure  of  the  son  Richard  to  hold 
the  reins  of  power,  to  head  a procession  of  the  people 
which  remonstrated  with  General  Monk  against  the 
restoration  of  the  Stuart  dynasty,  will  satisfy  most 
men  of  our  day  that  there  was  good  in  him,  although 
his  ancestors  may  have  been  hungry  and  in  rags,  as 
well  as  enthusiastic  in  the  faith.  F or  all  these  reasons, 
and  many  more  which  might  fatigue  my  readers 
should  I attempt  their  enumeration,  I do  not  regret 
that  the  surname  of  Priscilla  placed  beyond  doubt 
the  lowliness  of  her  birth;  but  I have  placed  on  record 
my  admiration  of  the  artistic  skill  which  covered 
the  unpoetic  appellation  of  that  heroic  Mrs.  John 
Alden. 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


121 


A hero  with  only  one  eye  must  needs  have  a pic- 
ture, so  that  posterity  might  not  be  at  a loss  to  recall 
his  features;  the  first  painter  that  was  called  in  gave 
two  eyes  to  the  sitter,  and  tried  to  justify  the  act 
of  flattery;  but  the  second,  wiser  and  more  successful, 
painted  only  the  bright  side  of  the  face  of  his  noble 
subject.  Longfellow  chose  the  better  part  in  describ- 
ing the  loveliness  of  the  woman  as  she  lived  in  that 
New  England  colony,  alone,  her  parents  having  died 
of  the  hardships  that  beset  the  .Pilgrims,  and  an  ob- 
ject of  solicitude  to  most  men,  married  as  well  as 
single.  Had  John  Alden,  the  cooper,  taken  passage 
back  to  Europe  in  the  good  old  ship,  there  would 
have  been  a little  volume  of  beautiful  poetry  torn  out 
of  the  early  history  of  our  civilization.  By  the  way, 
my  memory  has  just  enabled  me  to  recall  Priscilla’s 
surname;  it  was  Mullens.  The  poet  could  make  mu- 
sic of  Rene  Le  Blanc,  and  of  the  other  names  that 
figure  in  Evangeline,  but  one  line  about  Miss  Mullens 
would  have  been  fatal  to  Miles  Standish,  and  Longfel- 
low exercised  a wise  discretion  in  handing  her  loveli- 
ness down  to  posterity  in  the  delightful  sentence,  “Pris- 
cilla, the  Puritan  maiden.”  The  Aldens  are  public 
property,  in  a certain  sense;  the  name  is  conspicuous 
in  the  records  of  the  public  service;  the  revolutionary 
army  had  its  Aldens,  some  of  whom  were  commis- 
sioned officers;*  the  civil  war  had  its  Aldens,  one  of 
whom  rose  to  high  rank  in  the  navy  of  the  United 
States;  the  church  has  had  its  Aldens  in  important 
pastorates;  the  press  has  had  its  Aldens,  vigorous  vindi- 


122  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

cators  of  free  thought,  worthy  to  have  descended 
from  that  John  Alden  that  was  a magistrate  in 
Plymouth  colony  for  more  than  fifty  years;  so  that  I 
cannot  hold  myself  blamable  in  thus  ransacking  the 
archives  of  the  family  to  ventilate  its  honors.  In 
speaking  of  Miles  Standish  as  a man  of  small  stature, 
I would  not  be  understood  to  cast  a reflection  upon 
the  commander-in-chief  of  the  New  England  forces 
in  the  early  days  of  the  colony.  The  greatest 
soldiers  of  the  ages  have  not  been  physically  great; 
Washington  is  one  of  the  very  few  exceptions  to 
this  rule.  Napoleon  was  known  among  his  troops 
as  the  little  Corporal.  Wellington  was  only  of 
moderate  stature.  Grant  is  a small  man  in  all  but 
the  genius  that  made  him  invincible,  and  the  list 
might  be  indefinitely  extended,  including  Sheridan, 
Sherman,  and  a mighty  host  besides.  The  amende 
honorable  has  now  been  made  to  our  departed  friend, 
Miles  Standish,  and  the  manes  of  the  hardy  warrior 
are,  we  earnestly  hope,  placated. 

Apropos  to  that  adventure  with  the  cow,  we 
have  wandered  away  from  the  main  purpose  of  this 
history,  and  must  now  return  to  the  Institution, 
where  the  time  was  drawing  near  for  departure. 
My  impatience  set  me  thinking  of  many  employ- 
ments not  yet  available  for  the  blind  who  are 
taught  in  the  establishment  at  Janesville,  but  which 
are  taught  to  the  inmates  of  institutions  of  a simi- 
lar kind  elsewhere.  Mattrass-making,  for  instance, 
is  an  occupation  which  the  sightless,  if  otherwise 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


123 


qualified,  can  prosecute  almost  as  successfully  as 
other  persons.  They  might  not  prove  as  rapid  in 
execution,  but  they  certainly  turn  out  as  good  and 
as  sightly  an  article  as  ordinary  mattrass  makers 
possessing  all  their  faculties.  There  is  no  reason 
why  Janesville  should  not  acclimate  that  industry 
for  the  blind,  and  many  other  such  branches  of  em- 
ployment are  equally  suitable.  In  many  of  the 
Eastern  institutions  for  the  blind,  piano  tuning  and 
repairing  have  been  so  admirably  taught,  under  com- 
petent masters,  that  graduates  so  fitted  are  now 
earning  large  salaries  in  many  parts  of  this  coun- 
try, and  in  Europe;  special  qualifications  are  of 
course  demanded  for  the  attainment  of  eminent  suc- 
cess in  any  avocation,  but,  wherever  such  qualifi- 
cations are  found,  the  absence  of  sight  is  not  an 
insuperable  objection.  Society  has  a manifest  inter- 
est in  the  conversion  of  the  blind  into  productive 
workmen,  in  the  several  lines  of  industry  to  which 
they  are  adapted.  As  organists  in  churches,  and 

elsewhere,  the  blind  can  be  employed  extensively, 
and  in  many  churches,  to  my  certain  knowledge, 
blind  men  and  women  are  humanely  preferred  in 
such  labors.  Blind  organists,  acquiring  proficiency 
in  their  art  by  continuous  practice,  find  advantages 
beyond  the  salaries  paid,  in  the  facilities  for  procur- 
ing pupils;  and  the  management  at  Janesville  will 
not  take  amiss  at  my  hands  the  few  hints  thus 
offered  for  the  increase  of  the  usefulness  of  the 
Institution.  I have  so  freely  and  gladly  acknowl- 


124 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


edged  my  obligations  to  its  training,  that  no  one 
will  accuse  me  of  speaking  in  a carping  and  un- 
grateful spirit;  my  motive  is  purely  and  simply  an 
earnest  desire  to  make  the  machinery  of  benevo- 
lence more  effective  in  its  mission. 

I was  the  first  graduate  under  Mr.  Little’s  admin- 
istration, and  unusual  facilities  were  offered  me  in 
the  early  part  of  1863,  as  I desired  to  leave  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  term.  On  the  second  day  of 
February,  in  # the  year  named,  having  graduated 
with  some  credit,  I took  my  final  leave  as  a pupil, 
and  went  home  to  Oakland  to  commence  my  career 
as  a workman.  The  kindness  extended  to  me  by 
every  officer  in  the  Institute  sank  deep  into  my 
heart,  and  I would  name  each  act  of  grace  with 
much  pleasure,  but  I must  avoid  giving  my  pages 
the  appearance  of  a catalogue  or  directory,  and 
therefore  I embody  every  person  in  authority  there 
when  I express,  in  words  too  feeble  for  their  task, 
my  gratitude  to  good  Mr.  Little. 

My  object  in  quitting  th ; Institution  before  the 
end  of  the  term  was  my  anxiety,  very  natural 
under  the  circumstances  already  detailed,  to  in- 
duce my  father  and  other  farmers  to  plant  a large 
area  of  land  with  broom  - corn.  I had  already 
called  my  father’s  attention  to  that  crop  as  likely 
to  prove  remunerative,  and  I knew  that  some  of 
his  land  would  be  planted;  but  my  own  presence 
and  assistance  in  the  work  induced  a much  larger 
outlay  in  that  line.  Fifteen  acres  were  planted  sue- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


125 


cessfully  by  several  farmers,  but,  owing  to  damages 
from  frost,  the  profit  was  not  so  great  as  I had 
led  my  father  to  anticipate.  Other  men  greater 
than  myself  by  far  have  found  their  calculations 
turned  awry  by  severe  frosts.  Napoleon  at  Mos- 
cow dreamed  he  was  the  master  of  the  world  until 
he  found  the  Kremlin  in  flames,  and  was  forced 
from  his  cantonments  out  into  the  severest  winter 
that  Europe  had  experienced  in  his  day.  It  was 
not  KutuzofF,  so  surely  as  General  Frost,  that  de- 
feated the  invincible  conqueror.  That  instance  is 
cited  out  of  many,  lest  any  of  my  readers  should  be 
inclined  to  blame  me  for  the  untimely  frost  which 
diminished  my  father’s  profits  and  those  of  his 
neighbors  on  that  broom  - corn  investment. 

Before  going  entirely  into  my  business  enterprises, 
there  are  a few  topics  that  have  been  omitted  dur- 
ing my  school  career,  which  I would  fain  mention. 
My  visits  during  vacation  times  at  the  Institute  to 
the  district  schools  within  a wide  radius  from  home, 
were  exceedingly  pleasant,  as  the  fullest  privileges 
were  kindly  allowed  me  by  the  teachers,  and  with 
some  of  them  enduring  friendships  were  contracted. 
Spelling,  geography  and  grammar  were  my  strong 
points,  and  in  many  an  exhibition  I was  allowed  to 
participate.  My  acquaintance  with  the  English  tongue 
was  then  as  nearly  perfect  as  it'  has  ever  become, 
and  I could  reap  many  advantages  from  conversa- 
tion with  the  more  advanced  pupils,  and  with  the 
teachers,  whom  I found  generally  well  informed  and 


126 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


cultivated.  One  of  the  teachers,  resident  near  Lake 
Koshkonong,  was  peculiarly  kind  to  me,  and  my 
visits  to  that  locality  on  Saturdays,  when  school  was 
not  kept,  continued,  from  i860  to  1863,  to  be 
most  delightful  seasons  in  my  life.  The  poet  who 
wrote,  with  exquisite  insight,  of 

“ The  sweet  sessions  of  silent  thought,” 

was  a seer  as  well  as  a sweet  singer.  One-half,  at  least 
of  all  the  joys  of  civilized  life  are  found  in  silent 
thought;  and  he  who  cannot  realize  that  fact  is  shut 
off  from  the  depths  of  his  own  nature,  as  well  as  from 
the  major  felicities  of  communion  with  other  souls. 
During  all  the  working  - week  I looked  forward  to  that 
Saturday*  vacation  by  the  banks  of  Lake  Koshkonong, 
where  the  exercises  of  our  day  commenced  with  a 
ramble  over  the  ancient  mounds  left  by  the  primitive 
inhabitants  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Since  that  time 
many  of  the  mounds  in  question  have  been  opened 
by  explorers,  under  the  direction  of  President  Whit- 
forcf,  of  Milton  College,  Wisconsin,  now  Superintend- 
ent of  Public  Instruction  for  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
and  many  valuable  remains  of  the  mound  builders 
there  exhumed  to  enrich  the  museum  at  Milton  Col- 
lege. My  mind  was  not  then  as  much  alive  to  the 
value  of  such  contributions  to  history  as  it  has  since 
become,  so  that  the  mounds  were  more  thought  of  as 
protectors  from  cold  winds,  or  as  convenient  resting- 
places  in  our  rambles,  than  as  the  repositories  of  an 
almost  extinct  civilization.  Choice  books  were  our 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


127 


main  resource  in  our  weekly  holiday,  the  best  pas- 
sages of  leading  writers  being  selected  and  read  by 
my  companion  for  my  instruction  and  culture;  and 
we  seldom  rose  from  that  feast  of  reason  and  flow  of 
soul  without  having  reaped  mutual  advantages.  When 
memory  had  been  stored  with  such  food,  our  appe- 
tites for  other  sustenance  were,,  as  a rule,  fully  up  to 
the  standard  established  by  hospitality,  so  that  the 
inner  man  did  not  fail  of  proper  attention.  Then,  if 
the  weather  was  at  all  pleasant,  and  oftentimes  when 
it  was  more  than  boisterous,  we  betook  ourselves  to 
the  boat  belonging  to  the  family,  and  went  joyously 
away  over  the  bosom  of  the  lake.  My  companion 
held  the  tiller-ropes  and  laid  out  our  course,  so  that 
I had  only  to  handle  the  pair  of  paddles  which  pro- 
pelled us  with  celerity.  It  was  good  to  feel  that 
there  was  one  direction  — muscular  power  — in  which 
I was  the  more  than  equal  of  my  companion,  for 
the  puny  and  weak  proportions  which  have  been 
frequently  referred  to  in  describing  my  young  days 
had  now  rounded  into  fair  proportions  and  consid- 
erable vigor.  That  boat  which  we  handled  was  not 
an  outrigger  of  fragile  composition,  such  as  Hanlan, 
the  champion  rower,  would  demand,  but  a substan- 
tial structure,  in  which  a misstep  would  not  be  fatal, 
and  which  required  muscle  and  sinew  even  to  move. 
We  could  travel  fast,  as  it  seemed,  but  of  course  we 
had  no  standard  by  which  to  determine  our  speed, 
and  there  was  as  much  ozone  in  the  air  to  fill  our 
lungs  with  the  breath  of  life  in  one  part  of  the  open 


128 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


lake  as  in  another.  Conversation  was  our  delight; 
and  the  ideas  which  had  been  awakened  by  reading 
afforded  many  topics  upon  which  I sought  further 
information  from  the  well-stored  intellect  of  my  com- 
panion. The  intimacy  thus  established  and  cultivated 
was  a solace  to  me  for  many  years,  during  which  our 
correspondence  lasted,  and  it  was  not  until  far  on  in 
the  present  decade  that  responsibilities  on  both  sides, 
which  had  not  been  anticipated,  * rendered  it  imprac- 
ticable to  continue  the  interchange  of  letters.  After 
a long  interval  we  met  again  — about  two  years  ago  — 
and  I found  the  same  kindness  of  soul  actuating  the 
nature  of  my  old-time  friend,  from  whom  no  lapse  of 
time  can  ever  cause  my  utter  estrangement  while  we 
remain  on  this  footstool. 

There  was  another  experience  which  elaborated 
itself  in  my  young  manhood,  which  must  be  men- 
tioned here,  because  all  my  life  has  been  tinctured 
by  its  influence.  I had  never  realized  Christ  and 
Him  crucified.  Skepticism  was  strong  in  me,  as  it 
is  apt  to  be  at  some  period  in  every  youthful  mind. 
The  shortcomings  of  professing  Christians  weighed 
unduly  upon  my  judgment,  and  made  me  conclude 
that  there  was  no  solid  foundation  for  the  claims 
of  the  churches.  This  condition  of  mind  was  really 
terrible  in  the  eyes  of  my  friends,  who  were  timid 
and  conservative  in  matters  of  faith;  and  I was  rea- 
soned with  and  exhorted,  to  no  purpose,  almost  inces- 
santly. Love  of  conquest  was  a part  of  my  nature, 
and  I was  determined  not  to  be  taken  at  a disad- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


129 


vantage  in  any  of  the  discussions  that  were  at  times 
incessant.  The  Bible  became  my  companion;  and 
whenever  there  was  an  opportunity,  I induced  some 
friend  to  read  it  for  my  edification.  The  passages 
most  likely  to  be  of  service  in  a controversial  sense 
were  mainly  sought,  and  every  line  of  promise  was 
scrutinized  with  eager  attention.  Sometimes  one 
person  read  for  me,  and  sometimes  another,  but 
none  of  them  were  fully  aware  that  my  animating 
motive  was  zeal  as  a disputant.  The  passages  upon 
which  I relied  to  demolish  my  assailants,  failed  me 
in  my  extremity,  and  I renewed  the  search  again 
and  again.  I procured  the  works  of  notorious  skep- 
tics and  read  them  by  proxy,  at  rare  intervals,  as 
there  were  few  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  whom 
I could  ask  to  lend  me  their  eyes  for  such  a purpose. 
The  critical  acumen  which  had  been  trained  and 
strengthened  in  my  endeavors  to  discredit  the  sacred 
word  found  no  difficulty  whatever  in  discovering  the 
fallacies  of  its  opponents ; but  I was  unable  to  pro- 
cure rest  and  comfort  for  my  soul  in  the  contem- 
plation of  their  feebleness.  Again  and  again  I pursued 
my  study,  but  always  with  the  same  result,  so  that, 
although  I still  fought  as  vigorously  as  I knew  how, 
my  guns  were  little  more  serviceable  than  those  of 
Magruder  at  Yorktown,  which  made  McClellan  pause, 
as  he  ever  loved  to  do,  even  though  the  semblance 
of  an  enemy  was  only  a shadow.  My  Quaker  guns 
were  continually  in  position,  but  behind  them  was 
a mind  harrassed  terribly  by  doubts  about  doubting, 
9 


130 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


and  seeking  for  finality  in  faith.  Three  passages 
recurred  to  my  mind  always,  as  though  in  them 
lay  the  key  to  the  relief  which  was  sought.  I can 
quote  them  from  memory,  and  shall  do  so  without 
presenting  the  chapters  and  verses,  with  which  every 
Christian  is  familiar:  “If  ye  obey  the  word,  ye 
shall  know  whether  the  doctrine  be  of  God  or 
whether  I speak  of  myself;”  “The  Holy  Spirit 
shall  bear  witness  with  our  spirits  if  we  are  the 
children  of  God;”  and,  lastly,  “The  peace  of  God, 
which  passeth  all  understanding.”  The  promise 
seemed  literally  to  glow  in  these  words;  and  I 
repeated  them  to  myself  when  alone,  as  though 
in  the  mere  sound  might  come  the  “ open  sesame  ” 
out  of  my  restlessness.  “ The  peace  of  God,  which 
passeth  all  understanding,  ” was  not  mine,  most  assur- 
edly; and  when,  by  dint  of  audacity  in  argument, 
I had  routed  some  weak-kneed  brother,  my  con- 
sciousness gave  me  no  abiding-place.  At  length  it 
was  borne  in  upon  me  that  obedience  was  the  con- 
dition precedent  upon  which  the  Holy  Spirit  insisted; 
and  I found  myself  saying  to  my  perturbed  soul, 
“If  ye  obey  the  word,  ye  shall  know.”  I would 
strive,  then,  to  yield  an  unquestioning  obedience, 
because  I felt  that  the  proposition  had  a personal 
bearing,  which  must  be  solved  in  every  man’s  life, 
for  good  or  for  evil.  The  promise  conveyed  in  that 
passage  must  be  tested  by  me,  and  by  that  rule  salva- 
tion must  be  worked  out,  or  the  scheme  be  put  aside 
as  valueless.  I was  now  terribly  in  earnest,  even 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


131 


in  my  doubts.  Until  that  stage  of  inquiry  was 
reached,  I had  attended  church  in  a formal  and 
perfunctory  manner,  seeking  nothing,  and  finding  less 
than  I sought.  The  mischievous  spirit  had  predomi- 
nated in  me,  and  nothing  that  was  said  passed  beyond 
the  portals  of  my  understanding.  Earnestness,  if  not 
devoutness,  took  hold  upon  me,  as  when  a scientist 
.is  prosecuting  his  searches  into  the  mysteries  of  nature, 
his  faculties  are  all  alive  to  chronicle  the  result.  Per- 
haps the  want  of  a prayerful  condition  warred  against 
my  peace.  That  state  of  mind  was  not  unphilo- 
sophical.  Somewhere  in  Tennyson  I had  found  the 
lines: 

“ Prone  on  the  great  world’s  altar  stairs, 

Which  slant  through  darkness  up  to  God.  ” 

I would  pray  aloud  before  the  whole  of  the  peo- 
ple there  assembled,  and  so  settle  the  question  be- 
yond dispute.  My  prayer,  carefully  conned  and  cor- 
rected, sought  to  carry  the  Throne  of  Grace  by 
assault  of  rhetoric  and  choice  language;  but  when 
I fell  upon  my  knees  the  resources  of  philosophy 
were  as  nothing.  Words  would  not  come  at  my 
bidding.  Sentences  which  should  have  fallen  from 
my  tongue  trippingly,  halted  in  sorrow  and  humilia- 
tion, and  I was  helpless  as  clay  in  the  hands  of  the 
potter.  Still  there  were  no  results,  and  my  doubts 
came  back  upon  me  with  increasing  power.  Were 
not  these  sentences,  after  all,  the  words  of  men, 
without  warranty  for  divine  significance?  Full  of 
that  conviction,  or  impression,  I know  not  which  to 


132 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


call  it,  I attended  class-meeting,  determined  at  all 
hazards  to  take  the  brethren  into  my  confidence  — 
to  ask  their  aid,  if  one  human  being  could  help 
another  in  such  a strait.  At  the  proper  time  I rose 
in  my  place  to  tell  of  my  failure,  and  as  before,  the 
amplest  preparation  was  inoperative;  the  picturesque 
expressions  which  would  have  illustrated  my  mental 
state  lurked  in  my  memory,  confusing  but  not  assist- 
ing my  speech;  and,  when  words  came,  they  were 
as  sounding  brass  and  tinkling  cymbals,  powerless 
to  interpret  my  soul.  Standing  thus  in  sorrow  and 
agony,  wrestling  for  deliverance,  all  the  aids  of  frail 
humanity  cast  aside,  the  cross  of  Christ  invited  me 
to  cling  to  its  foot  and  bow  myself  down  to  the 
earth  beneath  the  suffering  form  which  bore  our 
sins  that  we  might  be  reconciled  to  the  Father.  The 
promises  were  verified  in  that  moment.  The  change 
that  came  over  my  life  may  never  be  uttered  in 
words,  but  every  soul  that  has  found  grace  knows 
the  joy  which  wells  up  from  eternal  fountains,  giv- 
ing freedom  to  the  tongue-tied  sinner,  so  that  he 
may  venture  to  speak  his  thoughts  without  taking 
heed  to  shape  his  language.  The  Holy  Spirit  bore 
witness  with  our  spirits  in  very  truth,  and  that  night 
was  blessed  to  many  in  the  Pentecostal  fervor  of 
that  outpouring.  Peace,  which  no  system  of  phi- 
losophy could  disturb,  found  ingress  to  my  soul, 
and  abode  there.  In  the  ecstacy  which  attaches  to 
conversion,  I could  have  gone  singing  to  a martyr’s 
doom^  and  for  a prolonged  season  my  life  traversed 


OUT  FROM  I 1 1 K DARKNESS. 


133 


the  earth  on  a higher  plane  of  being  than  I had 
ever  before  imagined  possible  to  humanity.  I have 
since  that  time  known  periods  of  depression  and 
gloom,  during  which  I have  seemed  to  cry  aloud 
out  of  the  depths,  but  the  old  doubts  are  gone  for- 
ever. Continuous  ecstacy  may  not  be  realized;  per- 
haps the  limits  of  reason  would  not  endure  the 
perpetual  strain,  but  it  comes  again  and  again  when 
the  clouds  of  misfortune  are  lowering  around  us,  so 
that  despair  of  divine  help  never  submerges  the  soul 
that  has  taken  hold  on  Jesus. 

Standing  on  the  narrow  neck  of  land  which  is 
called  to-day,  between  the  two  extremities  of  the 
past  and  the  future  — which  we  shall  yet  learn  is 
but  the  one  eternal  reality  of  which  time  is  the 
shadow  — we  are  approached  on  every  hand  by 
glimpses  of  what  has  been  and  what  shall  be.  Shakes- 
peare says : 

“There’s  a divinity  doth  hedge  a king.” 

And  yet  again  the  thought  appears: 

“There’s  a divinity  doth  shape,  our  ends, 

Rough  hew  them  as  we  may.  ” 

So  that  not  the  royal  personage  alone,  but  the 
man  is  in  some  sense  divine.  One  night,  during 
the  time  of  great  anxiety  which  I have  attempted 
to  describe,  a dream,  which  has  been  many  times 
repeated,  passed  before  me  like  a wondrous  pano- 
rama. I could  see  myself,  in  that  vision  of  the 
night,  as  though  there  had  been  two  on-lookers, 


134 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


between  whom  there  was  a curious,  inexplicable 
bond  of  sympathy.  Every  material  incident  in  a 
career  which  I have  since  learned  was  my  own,  up 
to  and  beyond  the  present  hour,  was  presented  in 
that  singular  phantasmagoria.  There  were  periods 
of  sunshine  and  melody,  in  which  all  was  gladness, 
such  as  Longfellow  has  sung : 

“The  nights  shall  be  filled  with  music, 

And  the  cares  that  affect  the  day 
Shall  fold  their  tents  like  the  Arabs, 

And  as  silently  steal  away.” 

Then  came  times  of  deep  sorrow,  and  sickness  on 
the  verge  of  death,  with  troubles  innumerable,  barring 
the  road  against  advancement,  so  that  leaden  despair 
was  master;  and,  while  the  belief  in  that  ending  was 
triumphant,  the  difficulties  were  not  removed,  but  a 
way  was  found  winding  around  the  insuperable  obsta- 
cles, and  coming  out  into  the  open,  sun -illumined  life 
once  more.  The  scenes  and  acts  in  that  mystery  have 
been  interpreted  by  time  itself  with  such  particularity 
of  fulfillment  that  I look  with  fear  and  trembling  to 
the  end,  scarcely  daring  to  hope  — what  yet  I dare,  for 
the  sake  of  my  little  ones  and  their  mother  — that  the 
phantasm  may  be  realized.  Every  life  comes  to  this 
earth  freighted  with  the  cares  which  are  destined  to 
develop  its  true  worth,  and  even  what  we  call  evil 
is  but  a lesser  good,  which,  in  some  degree,  works 
into  the  infinite  design.  Dust  are  we,  of  a truth;  but 
the  dust  is  more  precious  than  the  sparks  of  the  dia- 
mond, for  the  soul  has  an  ever-living  splendor,  com- 
pared with  which  the  sun’s  brilliancy  is  darkness. 


CHAPTER  III. 


“ Between  the  acting  of  a dreadful  thing 
And  the  first  motion,  all  the  interim  is 
Like  a phantasma  or  a hideous  dream.” — Shakespeare . 

Business  now  began  to  absorb  me.  The  new  light 
from  above  only  increased  my  sense  of  responsibility, 
so  that  I could  not  listen  to  the  kind  proposals  made 
to  me  by  my  father  to  remain  on  the  farm,  have  a 
workshop  erected  for  me,  work  when  I pleased,  be 
idle  when  I would,  and  so  make  my  life  a kind  of 
holiday.  When  Napoleon  was  associated  with  Sieyes 
and  Cambaceres  in  the  consulate  of  France,  the 
abbe  hoped  to  persuade  the  first  consul  that  he 
should  leave  the  task  of  governing  to  his  colleagues, 
contenting  himself  with  wealth,  splendor  and  idleness; 
but  the  future  Emperor  answered,  in  substance:  “I 
am  not  a hog  that  I should  be  content  to  feed  luxu- 
riously in  this  golden  sty.”  The  task  of  pacifying 
France,  consolidating  its  industries  and  commerce, 
codifying  its  laws,  and  giving  to  the  nation  its  due 
prominence  in  Europe,  seemed  to  him  more  worthy 
of  a man;  and  it  was  not  his  fault  that  the  allied 
powers  made  it  necessary  to  enter  on  a career  of  con- 
quest. My  designs  were  much  less  ambitious  than 
those  of  the  first  consul,  as  my  conquests  have  been 
infinitesimal.  I could  not  be  satisfied  with  anything 

*35 


136 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


less  than  the  fullest  exercise  of  my  faculties.  In 
arriving  at  that  conclusion  I was  much  assisted  by 
my  cousin,  J.  O.  Johnson,  who  is  now  largely  en- 
gaged in  real  estate  and  insurance  at  Northfield,  Min- 
nesota. He  was  a very  few  years  my  senior,  smart 
as  a whip,  and  sound  to  the  core  on  all  questions. 
He  had  lived  with  our  family  ever  since  his  arrival 
in  this  country  from  Norway,  only  leaving  the  farm 
when  his  collegiate  duties  called  him  away.  His 
many  personal  advantages  and  excellent  address  won 
access  to  the  best  society  wherever  he  went,  and  in- 
tercourse with  the  best  trained  men  in  the  business 
circles  of  the  Northwest  assisted  him  to  become  the 
competent  manager  and  financier  that  I have  ever 
known  him  to  be  from  before  he  left  college.  I 
sought  his  counsel  as  to  the  well  meant  suggestions 
of  my  father,  and  he  did  justice,  to  the  fullest  extent, 
to  the  loving  motives  of  my  family;  but  he  none  the 
less  pointed  out  to  me  that,  to  hybernate  in  such  a 
manner  when  the  world  teemed  with  opportunities  for 
a more  adventurous  and  useful  life,  would  be  to  sink 
into  the  condition  of  a poor  dependent  upon  others, 
to  lose  ambition,  and  eventually  to  lose  all  mental 
vigor.  It  made  me  sad  to  be  obliged  to  cross  the 
kind  purposes  of  my  father  by  striking  out  for  my- 
self; but  the  task  devolved  upon  me  in  what  I con- 
ceived to  be  the  line  of  duty,  and,  of  course,  I obeyed 
the  governing  impulse.  When  my  supplies  of  broom- 
corn  were  ready  to  commence  the  manufacture  of 
brooms,  I engaged  premises  for  myself  at  Fort  At- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


137 


kinson,  Wisconsin,  and  my  father,  with  many  of  the 
neighbors,  rendered  valuable  assistance  in  giving  me  a 
send-off.  I was  proud  beyond  measure  of  my  enter- 
prise; but,  having  borrowed  the  capital  with  which 
my  outfit  of  tools  was  purchased,  there  was  no  time 
for  strutting  around  in  vain  glory.  Every  day  found 
me  at  work,  early  and  late,  and  the  best  assistance 
that  could  be  hired  was  steadily  employed  in  pre- 
paring my  wares  for  market.  Before  many  months 
had  gone  by,  all  my  little  obligations  had  been  can- 
celed, and  several  hundred  dollars  in  the  bank  vindi- 
cated my  capacity  for  commercial  transactions.  Al- 
most everybody  could  earn  money  then,  but  I placed 
my  success  to  my  individual  credit,  and  was  never 
tired  of  quoting  my  own  case  as  a conclusive  answer 
to  all  the  croakers  who  had  thought  me  rash  and 
presumptuous  in  turning  a deaf  ear  to  the  kind  solici- 
tudes of  Oakland. 

I had  not  then  read  Oliver  Goldsmith’s  “ Vicar 
of  Wakefield,”  but  if  I had,  no  person  could  have 
induced  me  to  believe  that  there  was  any  likeness 
in  life  between  honest  Moses,  the  Vicar’s  son,  and 
myself,  the  successful  manufacturer  and  man  of  busi- 
ness, who  had  visited  so  many  fairs,  without  being 
induced  to  purchase  a load  of  green  spectacles  with  the 
price  of  my  merchandise.  My  load  of  green  spectacles 
came  in  good  time.  A man  named  Kellogg,  glib- 
tongued  as  a mountebank,  came  to  our  town  selling 
patent  rights  for  an  improvement  in  broom-making^ 
which  would  enable  every  man  to  make  brooms 


138~ 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


enough  to  supply  his  family  and  the  whole  neighbor- 
hood for  years  together,  in  less  time  than  was  occupied 
by  me  in  preparing  my  materials  for  a moderate 
order.  I listened  to  the  promises  of  the  deceiver 
all  the  more  readily  because  he  recognized  my  busi- 
ness capacity,  and  could  see  that  I was  fit  for  some- 
thing better  than  to  superintend  the  making  of  brooms, 
as  I was  then  doing,  for  a profit  less  than  $2,000 
per  annum.  He  raked  in  my  little  pile  in  less  than 
no  time,  and  in  addition  to  that  amount  I borrowed 
largely  among  my  friends,  to  pay  for  a county  right, 
out  of  which  I might  soon  clear  enough  money  to 
purchase  the  fee  simple  of  Jefferson  county.  Acting 
upon  the  advice  of  my  false  counselor,  I engaged 
a number  of  his  colleagues  to  sell  family  rights 
among  the  farmers,  and  it  was  not  long  before  my  ex- 
penses, added  to  my  original  outlay,,  landed  me  in 
debt  nearly  two  thousand  dollars.  I went  out  as  a 
canvasser  myself,  as  it  became  evident  that  many  of 
my  agents  were  living  upon  me,  without  making  any 
attempt  to  earn  their  salaries,  and  within  a very  short 
time  succeeded  in  selling  about  one  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  family  rights,  all  of  which  were  delivered 
by  me,  with  the  mechanism  necessary  for  the  work, 
and  a package  of  broom  - corn  seed,  so  that  every 
man  could  be  his  own  broom-rst.  About  that  time, 
and  before  my  returns  had  been  collected,  I became 
aware  that  the  wonderful  improvement  was  a fraud 
of  the  first  water.  The  shrinkage  of  material,  which 
in  the  old  process  could  be  allowed  for,  made  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


139 


patented  method  absolutely  worthless;  and  as  a man  of 
principle,  I had  no  option  but  to  abandon  all  my 
claims  and  shoulder  the  crushing  load  of  debt  which 
had  been  incurred  in  my  unfortunate  speculation. 
The  worst  part  of  all  the  business  was  the  sneering 
laughter  that  had  to  be  endured  from  many  who 
called  themselves  my  friends.  I dreaded  to  go  out 
of  doors  or  to  see  anybody  anywhere,  lest  the  covert 
sarcasm  which  was  so  painful  should  reach  me,  as 
usual,  under  the  guise  of  sympathy  and  condolence. 
I thought  myself  smarter  than  my  neighbors,  and 
they  were  not  inclined  to  let  me  off  without  rubbing 
in  the  lesson  that  I deserved.  At  times  I found  my- 
self almost  despairing,  although  I would  not  tell 
the  extent  of  my  disaster  to  a living  soul.  One 
day  I was  going  to  my  workshop,  when  Mr.  Hovey, 
one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Fort  Atkinson, 
who  had  been  kind  to  me  when  things  were  mov- 
ing prosperously,  took  me  aside,  and  I felt  sure  that 
a new  Jeremiad  upon  my  want  of  wisdom  was  to 
be  poured  out  upon  my  suffering  head.  To  my  sur- 
prise and  delight  there  was  not  one  word  of  the 
“ I-told-you-so  ” order.  He  merely  showed  me  how 
I could  repair  all  my  damages,  by  sitting  down  to 
regular  work,  as  I had  done  before  the  swindle 
began,  and  comforted  me  by  saying  that  with  all 
his  advantages  he  had  not  escaped  the  machinations 
of  astute  scoundrels.  If  my  friend  had  given  me 
a thousand  dollars  he  would  not  have  rendered  me 
a service  so  valuable  as  he  did  in  showing  that  my 


140 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


own  right  arm  was  my  bonanza.  My  troubles  shrank 
away  from  me  under  the  regime  which  commenced 
at  that  moment,  and,  although  it  was  nearly  three 
years  before  the  last  cent  of  my  Kellogg-swindle  in- 
debtedness was  paid  to  the  friends  who  kindly  trusted 
me  with  theiF  pioney  or  goods,  yet  I was  soon  able 
to  show  to  all  concerned  that  I was  once  more  pros- 
perous. The  originator  of  my  downfall  has  since  orna- 
mented the  States  prison,  and  well  deserved  the 
distinction  that  was  bestowed  upon  him  by  society. 

My  friend,  Mr.  Hovey,  was  not  merely  my  friend 
in  matters  of  counsel.  He  stood  by  me  materially  on 
more  than  one  occasion,  when  small  creditors  were 
pressing  in  their  demands,  and  my  appeal  was  never 
slighted  when  it  became  necessary  to  ask  him  for 
help.  There  were  many  others  among  the  leading 
merchants  in  Fort  Atkinson  who  lent  me  a helping 
hand,  and  without  their  assistance  my  task  would 
have  been  much  more  difficult  than  I found  it. 
Many,  whose  names  I do  not  wish  to  niention, 
were  ready  at  all  times  to  further  my  endeavors 
at  self  help;  but  there  are  some  who  will,  I be-^ 
lieve,  excuse  me  for  mentioning  their  names  in  this [ 
connection.  Mr.  Winslow,  Mr.  McPherson  and' 
Mr.  Manning  responded  to  my  calls  so  often  and 
so  promptly,  that  the  temptation  is  irresistible  to 
quote  them,  as  representing  the  enlightened  benevo- 
lence of  the  little  community  in  which  I was  located. 
It  was  not  only  at  Fort  Atkinson  that  my  friends 
were  found,  the  little  reputation  that  I had  won 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


141 


was  widely  scattered,  and  I thank  God  most  sincerely 
that  He  had  permitted  me  in  all  my  adversity  to 
preserve  my  integrity  unimpaired,  so  that  my  word 
was  considered  sufficient  warranty  for  whatever  was 
undertaken  if  the  work  was  within  the  scope  of 
my  powers.  I had  a good  friend  at  Stoughton, 
Mr.  Johnson  — not  my  cousin  of  that  name  — 
v^hose  purse  never  failed  me  at  a pinch,  and  from 
that  time  until  the  present  hour  I have  found  him 
a true  and  fast  friend,  never  varying  in  times  of 
calamity,  except  to  become  more  solicitous  for  my 
welfare.  There  were  many  who  showed  their 
solicitude  whenever  occasion  offered,  by  counselling 
me  to  abandon  all  attempts  at  being  self-supporting, 
as  it  was  well  known  that  my  father  would  give  me 
an  asylum  on  the  farm  for  the  asking;  but  the 
gentlemen  whom  I have  taken  the  liberty  to  name 
encouraged  me  in  the  manlier  course,  which  I have 
consistently  endeavored  to  follow.  There  was  one 
friend  at  a still  greater  distance,  Mons  Anderson, 
of  La  Crosse,  to  whom  I had  recourse  when  things 
were  looking  at  their  worst,  and  his  response  to 
my  application  was  most  generous.  When  our  fam- 
ily came  from  Norway  to  Milwaukee,  Mons  Ander- 
son accompanied  us,  and  his  circumstances  were  none 
too  prosperous  when  he  landed  in  the  State  of 
Wisconsin.  When  we  removed  to  Oakland,  he 
remained  in  the  city,  and  by  the  aid  of  his  remark- 
able capacity  he  succeeded  eventually  in  building 
up  a considerable  fortune  in  La  Crosse,  to  which 


1 12 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


place  he  had  removed.  His  name  was  a house- 
hold word  all  through  the  Scandinavian  communi- 
ties of  the  West,  but  with  us  there  were  special 
ties  of  affection  as  well  as  respect.  I went  to  him 
as  to  an  older  brother,  and  told  him  frankly  how 
I was  placed.  He  entered  into  my  troubles  more 
fully  than  some  brethren  would  dream  of,  showed 
me  in  a considerate  way  where  I had  blundered* 
pointed  out  the  manner  in  which  I could  most 
readily  recuperate,  and  gave  me  an  earnest  of  his 

true-heartedness  in  the  premises  by  loaning  me  two 

hundred  dollars  with  which  to  carry  out  the  plans 
he  had  suggested.  Thus  fortified  by  my  friends, 
I should  have  been  indeed  a craven  could  I have 
doubted  that  the  dark  clouds  would  break  over- 
head and  permit  me  another  sunburst.  I left  La 
Crosse  with  my  heart  too  full  for  utterance;  and 

the  prosecution  of  my  business  to  profitable  ends 

became  easier  every  day.  I should  have  been  wiser 
in  my  business  arrangements,  no  doubt,  if  I had 
called  my  creditors  together,  showed  them  my  posi- 
tion and  my  prospects,  and  sought  an  extension  of 
time,  so  that  my  immediate  earnings  would  have 
been  available  as  capital  for  further  enterprise,  until 
the  day  came  when  I could  pay  each  man  pro 
rata  without  leaving  myself  entirely  bare.  But  my 
pride  and  my  sensitiveness  revolted  from  such  an 
unfolding  of  my  circumstances  to  all  concerned;  so 
I kept  along  all  the  time  paying  away  the  last 
cent  upon  old  debts,  and  leaving  myself  often  de- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


143 


pendent  upon  my  friends  for  the  means  to  make 
purchases  and  employ  labor  under  circumstances 
which  promised  liberal  returns.  Under  the  better 
system  I should  have  paid  ofF  all  my  debts  much 
sooner,  but  under  that  which  I adopted  I am  happy 
to  state  that  all  were  paid  at  last.  I shall  have 
occasion  once  again  in  this  history  to  speak  of  my 
good  friend,  Mons  Anderson,  and  for  that  reason 
I can  leave  him  here  with  this  brief  notice  of  his 
discriminating  kindness. 

I continued  at  Fort  Atkinson  until  the  summer 
of  1S64,  when,  having  finished  up  all  the  broom  - 
corn  in  the  neighborhood,  I found  that  it  would 
be  unprofitable  and  therefore  irksome  to  remain 
longer.  I could  have  procured  any  quantity  of  ma- 
terial from  Chicago,  but  at  such  prices  as  would 
have  left  me  no  margin  for  labor  and  outlay,  and 
as  usual  I had  paid  away  every  dollar  as  soon  as 
it  was  earned,  so  that  there  remained  no  capital 
with  which  to  operate.  An  opportunity  was  now 
offered  me  to  make  up  a quantity  of  broom-corn 
at  Christiana,  for  my  good  friend  and  neighbor  in 
old  times,  Andrew  Johnson.  There  was  not  a 
great  deal  to  be  done  for  Mr.  Johnson,  only  one 
hundred  dozen  of  brooms,  but  that  offered  me  a 
fair  margin  of  profit,  which  was  applied  at  once  to 
the  liquidation  of  old  debts.  Arrived  at  the  end  of 
that  engagement,  and  hating  idleness,  I used  the  lit- 
tle money  remaining  in  my  possession  to  convey 
me  to  Chicago,  a center  of  business  about  which 


144 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


I had  often  heard,  but  never  set  foot  in,  up  to 
that  date.  I found  the  metropolis  of  the  North- 
west all  that  it  had  been  pictured  to  [my  mind,  and 
even  more — a very  whirlpool  of  activity  and  enter- 
prise— but  knowing  no  person  in  the  vast  concourse 
of  men,  it  was  not  easy  to  convince  anybody  that 
a blind  man  was  capable  of  earning  a livelihood. 
A dog,  a string,  and  an  inverted  hat,  were  consid- 
ered the  insignia  of  a blind  man’s  calling,  and 
when  I presented  myself  at  the  different  factories, 
asking  for  employment,  it  was  not  easy  to  convince 
the  persons  to  whom  I applied  that  there  was  no 
scheme  of  mendicancy  concealed  beneath  my  offer. 
Day  after  day  I made  the  round  of  the  broom  fac- 
tories in  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  the  sounds  of  work 
and  traffic  told  me  that  there  should  be  no  difficulty 
in  giving  me  the  chance  to  earn  my  bread;  but  always 
the  answer  came,  in  various  forms,  that  there  was 
no  opening  for  me.  I was  asking  my  fellow  - men 
for  leave  to  toil,  and  nothing  more.  I sought  no 
charity  — sought  nothing,  in  fact,  but  what  an  honest 
man  might  ask  with  dignity — sought  it  in  deep  earn- 
estness of  spirit  and  speech,  because  my  bread  de- 
pended on  my  success,  yet  on  every  hand  was  met 
with  an  embarrassing  refusal,  until  I could  say  with 
Robert  Burns : 

“ Man’s  inhumanity  to  man 
Makes  countless  thousands  mourn.” 

I have  said  that  I knew  no  person  in  Chicago, 
and  that  was  the  actual  truth;  but  as  a church  mem- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


145 


ber  in  good  standing,  I could  look  for  sympathy 
to  the  pastor  of  the  Illinois  Street  Scandinavian  M. 
E.  Church,  and  to  his  residence  I bent  my  steps 
as  a matter  of  duty  before  leaving  the  city  in  abso- 
lute despair.  The  Rev.  Oscar  Shogrin  was  a man 
of  fine  appearance,  not  massive,  but  well  propor- 
tioned, and  I could  feel  that  he  regarded  me  dur- 
ing my  visit  with  much  interest.  My  story  was 
soon  told;  indeed,  I might  have  said  with  Canning’s 
Needy  Knife  Grinder,  “ Story,  sir?  Lord  bless  you!  I 
have  none  to  tell;”  but  my  despondent  face  may  have 
possessed  an  eloquence  upon  which  I had  not  learned 
to  calculate.  I had  taken  more  negatives  during 
my  few  days  in  the  city,  than  the  most  successful 
photographic  artist.  I was  leaving,  having  answered 
the  questions  of  my  friend,  and  broken  my  fast 
with  him  (I  had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  say  it  had 
been  some  time  unbroken),  when,  much  to  my  sur- 
prise, he  inquired  whether  eighty  dollars  would  be  of 
service.  Eighty  dollars?  Why,  a perfect  paradise  of 
a broom  factory  could  be  started  with  eighty  dollars, 
but  where  could  such  a sum  be  found  for  me  without 
security,  and  in  a city  where  no  man  would  trus* 

me  even  to  make  a broom?  There  was  a great  deal 

of  energy  in  my  declaration,  beyond  a doubt,  for  I 

felt  that  the  time  was  gone  by  for  jesting  about 
sums  of  money.  Eighty  dollars  was  not  a light 

matter.  But  further  surprises  were  in  store  for  me. 
The  dear  old  pastor  had  eighty  dollars  of  his  own 
(the  wonder  was  that  such  a man  had  one  cent),  and 

XO 


146 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


he  made  me  take  it  from  him  as  a loan,  to  com- 

mence my  career  in  Chicago.  When  Samson  found 
a beehive  in  the  lion’s  carcase,  he  was  not  more 

astounded  than  was  I at  finding  a Methodist  pastor 
with  eighty  dollars.  Before  I left  the  house  of  the 
good  man  that  night,  he  made  me  accept  the  loan, 
and  I sent  next  day  to  Wisconsin  for  all  my  tools 
to  commence  broom  - making.  A shop  was  soon 
rented  in  which  a blind  man  could  find  work,  ma- 
terials were  purchased,  willing  labor  was  freely  ex- 
pended in  making  ready,  and  my  success  was  speedily 

assured.  Within  a few  weeks  several  men  were 

working  in  my  factory.  I denied  no  man  an  oppor- 
tunity to  try.  My  profits  were  larger  than  I had 
imagined  possible  in  the  country,  and  my  capital 
was  enough  for  every  conceivable  purpose.  * With 
some  difficulty  I made  my  banker-pastor  take  inter- 
est upon  his  advance  when  the  principal  was  repaid, 
and  that  was  the  only  occasion  I remember  in  which 
our  sentiments  ever  differed.  Years  afterwards  an 
opportunity  offered  itself  to  me  to  render  him  a 
service,  and  the  old  gentleman  was  as  generous  in 
acceptance  as  he  had  been  in  bestowal.  He  is  now 
in  charge  of  a very  large  society  in  San  Francisco, 
which  he  has  built  up  from  very  small  beginnings, 
and  the  sterling  trustfulness  of  his  nature  has  won 
for  him  high  appreciation  from  all  classes.  An  age 
of  such  men  would  be  almost  millennial,  and  to 
speak  of  him  is  a delight. 

I was  now  once  more  careering  along  at  high 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


147 


pressure,  and  money  came  in  with  unexampled  rapid- 
ity. Every  venture  seemed  to  have  been  touched 
with  the  finger  of  Midas,  as  it  turned  to  gold,  or, 
at  any  rate,  into  greenbacks,  which  served  all  pur- 
poses for  me  just  as  well.  In  the  spring  of  1865  I 
could  have  gone  out  of  business  with  two  thousand 
dollars,  and  should  have  acted  wisely  in  so  doing, 
but  it  was  not  my  good  fortune  to  be  able  to  read 
coming  events,  although  they  sometimes  cast  their 
shadows  across  my  path.  I worked  by  wit,  and  not 
by  witchcraft,  as  the  phrase  runs  in  Shakspeare,  and 
perhaps  some  of  my  readers  will  not  credit  me  with 
much  wit.  The  war  was  coming  to  an  end.  That 
was  known  to  all  men  long  before  the  actual  sur- 
render at  Appomattox ; but  I could  see  no  reason 
why  the  termination  of  the  too-long-continued  fratri- 
cidal strife  should  bring  about  a collapse  in  values. 
People  would  want  brooms,  although  the  besom  of 
destruction  ceased  to  sweep  the  land;  so  I went  right 
ahead  with  my  work,  expending  every  cent  of  my 
capital  in  materials  and  labor,  when  nearly  every  fac- 
tory was  closing  out  at  a sacrifice.  The  end  can  be 
readily  divined.  The  war  closed,  and  brooms  came 
down  with  a rush,  but  I would  not  be  warned  by 
the  first  fall.  I continued  to  pack  all  my  eggs  in 
one  basket,  worked  with  the  diligence  of  a beaver 
building  his  habitation,  although  my  brooms,  when 
made,  were  of  less  value  in  the  continually-falling 
market  than  was  the  material  of  which  they  were 
made  before  I had  expended  labor  and  capital  upon 


148 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


it.  When  ’ idleness  and  a tour  of  observation  would 
have  been  wisdom,  my  industry  and  perseverance  on 
the  wrong  track  proved  my  ruin.  I shut  up  my 
factory,  at  last,  because  the  factory  would  have  shut 
me  up  otherwise,  and  there  was  hardly  a cent  left 
in  my  treasury  when  all  my  debts  were  paid.  Talk 
about  being  as  bare  as  a robin  — my  case  was  worse, 
for  I had  not  a feather  to  fly  with. 

There  was  one  incident  in  my  Chicago  career  that 
ought  to  be  mentioned  before  I bid  adieu,  for  a / 
time,  to  the  vast  metropolis.  I had  gotten  pretty 
familiar  with  the  streets  in  my  peregrinations  on  busi- 
ness, and,  although  I had  sometimes  unceremoniously 
ventured  into  a coal-cellar,  or  some  other  subter- 
ranean storehouse,  through  an  open  trap,  my  confi- 
dence in  my  own  resources  was  almost  unbounded. 
One  evening,  early  in  the  spring  of  1865,  I was  hurry- 
ing homeward,  along  Kinzie  street,  having  just  made  a 
large  purchase,  which  I was  anxious  to  have  made 
up,  when  I stepped  off  from  the  roadway  just  as  the 
bridge  was  beginning  to  swing  around.  Perhaps  the 
bystanders  had  never  noticed  that  I was  blind,  as 
they  were  unprepared  for  the  false  step  that  I unfor- 
tunately made;  certain  it  is  that,  until  I was  just 
plunging  into  the  river,  there  was  no  sound  of 
warning  as  to  the  danger  that  threatened  my  life. 
Quicker  than  thought  itself  my  arms  swung  instinct- 
ively towards  the  retreating  bridge  as  I fell,  and  my 
left  arm,  the  nearest  to  that  structure,  grasped  the 
lower  rail.  It  was  not  an  instant  before  my  right 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


149 


arm  reinforced  the  left,  and  the  gymnastic  exercises 
incidental  to  tree  - climbing  were  life  itself  in  that 
energy  which  enabled  me  to  mount  to  the  roadway 
as  the  bridge  swung  towards  midstream.  There 
was  noise  enough  then,  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
cheering  and  clapping  of  hands,  for  some  moments, 
as  though  the  interested  spectators  wished  to  encore 
the  performance,  on  which  I would  not  willingly 
enter  for  a fortune;  but,  as  I descended  from  the 
railing  over  which  I had  clambered,  I fell  on  my 
knees,  silently,  to  give  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for 
my  almost  miraculous  escape. 

Before  my  return  to  Wisconsin,  which  seemed  to 
be  inevitable,  after  business  in  Chicago  had  petered 
out  in  my  line,  I determined  to  visit  New  York, 
in  the  Micawber-Y\ke  hope  that  something  would 
turn  up  for  me  in  that  vaster  emporium  of  trade  and 
commerce.  I could  not  say  why  there  was  such 
a hope,  but  somehow  if  I had  ventured  back  to  my 
old  home  without  going  East,  I should  have  felt 
that  a chance  had  been  thrown  away.  Acting  upon 
that  will-o’-the-wisp  intuition,  I secured  my  tickets 
for  New  York,  and  was  soon  on  my  way,  rushing 
with  hardly  any  means  towards  a city  where  I knew 
no  person.  It  would  not  have  astonished  me  in  the 
least  if  Commodore  Vanderbilt  had  come  to  meet 
me  in  Jersey  City,  and  propose  that  we  should  com- 
bine our  resources  to  get  up  a corner  on  brooms; 
but  I did  not  ask  for  him  on  my  arrival  at  the 
depot.  Crossing  by  the  ferryboat  to  New  York* 


150 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS 


some  casual  words  of  politeness  from  another  pas- 
senger, whom  I found  well  acquainted  with  the  course 
of  travel,  induced  me  to  ask  for  directions  which 
would  enable  me  to  find  a comfortable  hotel,  where 
a person  of  very  moderate  means  could  be  accom- 
modated for  a time.  Unfortunately  for  me  I had 
been  accosted  by  one  of  those  “ ropers  in  ” that  dis- 
grace our  great  cities;  but  I supposed  he  was  dealing 
with  me  in  singleness  of  heart,  when  he  said  that 
he  was  a “ runner”  for  just  such  a hostelry  as  I 
described,  and  that  he  would  convey  me  direct  to  that 
haven.  I can  now  understand  that,  as  “ a young 
man  from  the  country,”  it  was  supposed  that  some 
money  could  be  made  out  of  me,  and  before  many 
minutes  had  elapsed  I was  introduced  with  scanty 
preface  to  a den  of  infamy,  in  which  there  must 
have  been  nearly  a score  of  unfortunate  women,  some 
far  advanced  in  liquor,  and  all  more  or  less  under 
its  influence.  It  was  of  no  use  my  assuring  them 
personally  and  collectively  that  I had  no  money  to 
spend  in  drink,  none  whatever;  if  I had  no  money, 
why  should  I have  visited  that  establishment,  a place 
well  known,  the  proprietors  of  which  made  a for- 
tune almost  every  year  by  selling  liquor  to  the  dupes 
and  victims  of  vice  by  whom  I was  surrounded? 
I was  in  the  worst  crowd  that  ever  embarrassed  me 
in  my  life;  and  from  what  I had  heard  about  the 
police  force  in  New  York  City,  it  seemed  quite  pos- 
sible that  if  any  disturbance  arose  out  of  my  adven- 
ture, my  name  would  figure  in  the  newspapers  as 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


151 


a frequenter  of  a place  that  I utterly  loathed.  This 
thought  warned  me  that  I must  be  as  wise  as  a 
serpent,  but  I could  not  inspire  as  much  terror  as 
a serpent  would  have  done  under  the  circumstances, 
otherwise  I might  have  glided  out  with  little  oppo- 
sition. Bad  as  my  surroundings  were,  the  unfor- 
tunates were  not  all  equally  vile;  two  of  the  party 
who  pretended  to  be  asking  me  to  come  up  to  the 
bar  to  purchase  whisky,  availed  themselves  of  the 
chance  to  give  me  directions  as  to  the  doorway  and 
stairs,  and  begged  me  to  escape  for  God’s  sake.  That 
hint  was  all  I wanted,  for  I had  been  whirled  around 
so  many  times  since  entering  the  room  that  my  way 
out  had  been  a conundrum  until  that  moment.  The 
unlovely  syrens  by  whom  I had  been  assaulted  at 
first,  cursed  my  unhappy  counsellors  for  their  failure 
to  make  me  produce  my  money,  and  I was  roughly 
handled  for  some  minutes,  but  at  every  step  I was 
nearer  the  place  of  egress,  from  which  neither  force 
nor  solicitation  could  turn  my  face.  I tried  to  prophesy 
smooth  things  for  peace  sake,  but  it  seemed  as  if 
that  door  had  been  a mile  from  me,  so  slow  were 
my  steps  in  retreat.  When  some  of  the  more  ob- 
streporous  insisted  upon  my  standing  drinks  around 
and  caught  hold  upon  me  to  enforce  that  decision, 
my  awkward  feet,  first  one  and  then  another,  would 
come  heels  first,  with  crushing  emphasis,  upon  the 
favorite  bunions  of  my  tormentors,  and  when  they 
howled  with  pain  I was  always  sure  to  lift  the  wrong 
foot  first,  so  that  the  agony  was  prolonged.  In 


152 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


that  way,  owing  to  my  deplorable  stupidity,  and  my 
country-made  boots,  my  only  weapons,  the  worst  of 
my  enemies  got  stamped  out  of  my  way;  and  while 
their  pains  were  winning  them  sympathy  my  hesi- 
tating footsteps  found  the  top  stair,  verifying  the  in- 
structions of  the  friendly  Magdalens,  so  that  I need 
hesitate  no  longer  as  to  making  my  escape.  Curses 
loud  and  deep  followed  me  as  I ran;  but  I was 
soon  out  again  in  the  streets  of  New  York,  and 
comparatively  safe.  It  is  a terrible  reflection  that 
so  many  thousands  of  fair  and  beautiful  women 
should  descend  from  their  primitive  purity  every 
year  to  recruit  the  armies  of  sin  in  our  great  cities. 
I had  never  until  now  realized  how  abhorrent  was 
that  form  of  vice,  but  alas!  I have  discovered  also 
that  the  most  shocking  sins  that  were  known  to  old 
Rome,  when  criminal  practices  were  at  their  worst, 
are  aped  in  the  great  city  of  New  York,  by  creatures 
bearing  the  form  of  manhood,  who  surrender  them- 
selves to  lives  of  prostitution.  The  subject  is  so 
repugnant  to  goodness  that  I hasten  to  purge  my 
pen  of  all  reference  to  such  abominations. 

I found  myself  in  Greenwich  street  soon  after 
leaving  the  house  I have  mentioned;  and,  fearing 
to  accost  wayfarers,  who  might  mislead  me,  I en- 
tered a large  dry  goods  store  to  seek  information. 
The  proprietor  was  as  kind  and  considerate  as  if  I 
had  made  a large  purchase  in  his  establishment,  and, 
acting  on  his  advice,  I stayed  that  night  and  after- 
wards in  an  old-established  hotel,  which  engrossed 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


153 


the  upper  floors  of  the  block  of  which  his  store  was 
a part.  The  building  was  very  old  - fashioned,  with 
broad  staircases  and  halls,  such  as  might  have  ac- 
commodated a dozen  Hollanders,  with  all  their  ap- 
parel, without  any  fear  of  overcrowding.  The  struc- 
ture was  of  Holland  bricks,  and  considerably  more 
than  two  hundred  years  old,  as  I was  informed, 
having  been  originally  constructed  for  a Van  Rensel- 
laer,  or  some  other  Dutch  dignitary  accustomed  to 
style  and  comfort,  in  the  early  days  of  New  Am- 
sterdam, before  the  Duke  of  York  changed  the  own- 
ership of  the  city  and  territory,  as  well  as  the  name. 
I could  not  see  all  that  there  was  of  old  and  curi- 
ous in  that  singular  edifice,  but  my  hands  were 
passed  to  and  fro  over  the  massive  doors  of  cherry 
wood,  with  old  - fashioned  brass  door  - locks  and 
knobs,  and  I paced  the  old  - time  fireplaces  until  I 
knew  their  dimensions  perfectly.  My  room,  in  the 
front  of  the  hotel,  and  on  the  third  story,  was 
large  and  comfortable;  but,  having  entered  on  my 
investigations  with  a desire  to  know  all  that  the 
^ circumstances  of  the  time  permitted,  and  being  fa- 
vored by  my  host,  my  rambles  and  inspections  were 
extended  over  a large  part  of  each  floor.  Some  of 
the  old  - fashioned  mantelpieces  might  have  been 
designed  for  church  porches,  slightly  dwarfed  and 
changed  in  outline,  to  permit  of  the  massive  shelf 
which  was  indispensable  to  housekeepers  two  cen- 
turies ago.  It  seemed  as  if  I should  never  tire  of 
my  survey,  but  fatigue  at  last  began  to  tell  upon  me, 


154 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


and  I was  glad  to  stretch  my  weary  limbs  on  that 
bed,  big  enough  for  a whole  family  of  Dutchmen. 
In  my  dreams  that  night,  the  troubles  through  which 
I had  come  were  passed  in  review;  but,  instead  of 
my  boots  descending  upon  tender  bunions,  the  con- 
temptible runner  received  the  punishment,  and  my 
heel  bruised  the  serpent’s  head.  During  my  stay  in 
the  city  it  was  my  purpose  to  visit  Barnum’s  Muse- 
um, if  I should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  procure  em- 
ployment, but,  to  my  astonishment,  the  vast  collec- 
tion of  wonders  from  all  parts  of  the  world  was 
burned  down  two  days  after  my  arrival,  and  my 
natural  curiosity  was  disappointed  and  gratified  in 
ways  that  had  never  entered  into  my  calculations. 
We  knew  enough  about  fires  in  Chicago  to  dull  my 
interest  in  ordinary  conflagrations,  although  Chicago 
had  not  then  eclipsed  the  greatest  fires  in  former 

historic  times;  but,  when  the  rumor  was  circulated 
that  Barnum’s  Museum  was  in  flames,  I could  not 

resist  the  impulse  to  join  the  hurrying  throng,  which 
made  a perfect  tide  of  men  and  women,  bound  for 

that  scene  of  brilliant  ruin.  My  pace  could  not 

compete  with  that  of  the  crowd,  for  I did  not  know 
what  obstacle  might  beset  my  path;  so  I was  con- 
tent, as  usual,  to  be  passed  in  the  race.  To  many  of 
my  readers  it  may  seem  strange  that  a blind  man 
should  hasten  to  a fire,  which,  of  course,  he  could  not 
see,  and  could  hardly  wish  to  feel;  but  the  idea  will 
suggest  itself  to  most  ingenious  minds  that,  in  a 
crowd,  men  see  and  hear,  to  a very  great  extent,  by 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


155 


the  organs  of  other  people.  When  the  great  orator 
and  agitator  of  Ireland,  Daniel  O’Connell,  addressed 
immense  concourses  of  his  fellow  - countrymen  on 
the  repeal  of  the  Union,  it  was  not  possible  for  all 
the  listening  mass  to  hear  the  melodious,  organ  - 
toned  voice  of  the  speaker;  yet  the  last  man  in  the 
remotest  line  of  the  monster  meeting  shouted  as  en- 
thusiastically as  the  nearest  and  most  favored  hearer. 
I was  but  little  worse  off  than  he,  and  the  eyes  of 
all  around  me  were  involuntarily  placed  at  my  serw 
ice;  my  ears  answered  all  purposes.  I was  told  by 
the  exclamations  of  almost  all  my  seeing  neighbors 
of  every  material  incident  in  the  drama.  My  mem- 
ory of  that  exciting  time  is  wonderfully  distinct  at 
this  hour,  but  of  course  any  description  that  I might 
attempt  would  savor  of  the  imagination,  because  I 
could  not  in  any  other  way  than  by  mental  effort  of 
that  kind  connect  events  which  passed  before  the  eyes 
of  the  multitude,  and  were  printed  upon  my  brain 
by  their  words,  and  the  terrible  noises  from  within 
the  building.  The  reader  may,  perhaps,  conjure  up 
before  him  the  horrors  which  for  a time  kept  New 
York  on  tiptoe.  Lions,  lionesses,  tigers,  elephants, 
bears,  kangaroos,  boa  constrictors,  anacondas,  rattle- 
snakes and  deadly  serpents  of  all  kinds  were  strug- 
gling in  their  madness  of  terror  to  find  egress  from 
the  burning  structure,  and  their  noises  were  at  inter- 
vals appalling.  The  whales  and  alligators,  which  had 
been  for  some  time  on  view  in  the  museum,  were 
being  gradually  scalded  to  death,  until  the  glass  sides 


156 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  their  tanks  suddenly  broke,  under  the  influence  of 
fervent  heat,  and  they  were  dispatched  by  the  hissing 
flames.  I heard  that  an  orang  - outang,  escaping  from 
the  fire,  found  his  way  into  the  editorial  sanctum  of 
the  New  York  Herald , where  Mr.  James  Gordon 
Bennett  was  then  sitting  at  work,  and,  although  the 
intruder  could  have  been  perfectly  at  home  there,  the 
employes  of  the  establishment,  fearing  that  another 
of  that  stripe  would  be  an  overdose,  rushed  upon 
the  new  comer  before  he  realized  his  fitnesses,  and 
overpowered  him.  That  story  was,  I think,  told  to 
me  some  days  later,  but  all  the  incidents  range  them- 
selves in  my  sensorium  with  equal  authority.  Sev- 
eral times  there  were  stampedes  in  the  tremendous 
crowd  of  forty  thousand  people,  when  some  of  the 
more  dangerous  living  curiosities  made  their  escape ' 
out  into  the  streets,  and  at  such  moments  I wished 
myself  at  home;  but,  as  soon  as  the  possibility  of 
being  trampled  to  death  passed  from  my  mind,  I 
congratulated  myself  on  being  near  enough  to  the 
mighty  conflagration  to  experience  its  heat.  It  would 
be  something  for  me  to  tell  my  neighbors  in  the 
country  in  the  dull  days  which  make  conversation 
delightful,  even  though  it  may  not  be  of  the  best 
quality,  that,  on  the  13th  day  of  July,  1S65,  ^ ^ia<^ 
been  one  of  the  crowded  concourse  that  witnessed 
the  destruction  of  Barnum’s  Museum,  and  had  nar- 
rowly escaped  with  my  life,  in  the  manner  already 
described.  I remained  in  the  surging  throng  until 
evening,  too  excited  to  know  that  I was  hungry  and 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


157 


athirst,  and  I must  say,  for  the  credit  of  the  city,  of 
whose  worst  sides  I have  already  given  some  hint, 
that  no  person  said  an  uncivil  word  to  me,  and  that 
many  tendered  me  personal  assistance.  Accepting 
the  kindness  of  an  elderly  gentleman,  who  told  me 
that  his  name  was  Compton,  I was  piloted  out  of 

the  struggling  mass,  just  when  darkness  was  felling 
upon  the  earth,  and  directed  towards  my  hotel,  where 
I found  rest,  peace,  and  a good  supper,  all  of  which 

\ I could  appreciate.  I had  now  been  several  days  in 

New  York,  and  all  my  peregrinations  had  not  opened 
up  one  avenue  of  employment,  so  I knew  that  I 

must  not  continue  in  that  city,  away  from  all  who 
knew  me  and  might  give  me  their  aid. 

That  night  I was  aroused  from  my  sleep  by 
sounds  of  an  altercation  in  the  street,  just  under  my 
window,  which  was  in  the  third  story,  and  wide 
open,  for  it  was  in  the  heated  term,  when  fresh  air 
is  a great  desideratum.  For  some  time  I remained 
in  my  bed  and  listened,  until  it  became  clear  to  me 
that  one  man  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and 
supposed  to  have  money,  was  engaged  in  a fracas 
with  a knot  of  scoundrels,  who  were  determined,  at 
all  hazards,  to  carry  away  the  plunder.  I hastened 
then  to  the  casement,  and  looking  out  — if  a man 
who  cannot  see  may  be  supposed  to  look  — added  my 
voice  to  the  clamor  below,  shouting  “murder!” 
and  “help!”  as  loudly  as  I could.  Since  that  time 
I have  reflected  that  perhaps  my  well-meant  inter- 
ference changed  what  might  have  been  robbery, 


158 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


with  violence,  into  murder,  as  the  events  in  the 
fearful  drama  were  certainly  precipitated  by  my 
alarm.  I heard  every  sound  with  terrific  distinct- 
ness. The  cries  of  the  struggling  man,  who  had 
evidently  hurt  one  of  his  assailants,  made  me  shud- 
der, for  he  knew  that  his  life  was  in  danger. 
4 ‘Knife  him!”  said  a hoarse  and  brutal  voice,  and 
immediately  after  the  sounds  from  the  murdered 
man  told  me  that  his  head  had  been  almost  severed 
from  his  body;  his  moans  and  sobs  were  inarticu- 
late; and  there  was  a fearful  gurgling  in  his  throat, 
which  will  never  pass  from  my  memory.  I redoubled 
my  cries  for  assistance,  until  the  other  inmates  of 
the  hotel  were  roused,  and  I couli  hear  the  sounds 
of  the  patrol  hastening  to  the  spot.  There  was  a, 
hurried  consultation  among  the  murderers,  but 
whether  dividing  the  spoils  of  that  abhorrent  deed, 
or  appointing  a rendezvous,  I cannot  tell;  certain  it 
is  that  I heard  their  hushed  and  stealthy  footfalls 
as  they  departed  to  their  lurking-places,  just  before 
the  police  came  up  and  found  the  murdered  man 
in  the  very  article  of  death  on  the  pavement.  I 
had  supped  full  of  horrors.  Modern  Babylon  had 
no  charms  for  me.  Misfortune  threatened  to  dog 
my  steps  in  New  York  city;  and,  do  what  I would, 
that  impression  could  not  be  erased  from  my  mind, 
so  that  long  before  morning  came  I had  resolved  to 
return  to  Wisconsin,  where  I did  not  doubt  of 
my  ability  to  earn  a subsistence,  even  at  the  worst. 

It  is  useless  to  say  anything  as  to  my  journey. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


159 


I was  rejoiced  to  escape  from  Sodom,  and,  unlike 
Lot’s  wife,  I did  not  look  back  upon  the  city  from 
which  I was  retreating.  At  Christiana  I found  a 
welcome  to  the  home  of  my  old  friend,  Andrew 
Johnson,  and  a quantity  of  broom-corn  that  he 
wished  me  to  convert  into  brooms.  There  were 
six  hundred  dozen  brooms  made  and  sold  during 
my  stay;  and,  as  before,  I partook  of  the  hospital- 
ity of  the  family  on  the  pleasantest  possible  terms. 
If  I had  been  at  Oakland,  my  status  could  not  have 
been  more  assured,  nor  more  profitable  in  every  sense. 
I was  as  one  of  the  family,  and  the  rule  observed 
there  was  truly  excellent.  The  father,  mother,  son 
and  daughter  were  all  fond  of  reading,  and  choice 
works,  the  best  obtainable  in  that  neighborhood, 
were  read  aloud  by  the  several  members  of  the 
group  alternately,  and  the  suggestive  facts  and  pas- 
sages were  afterwards  considered  more  fully  in  our 
conversations;  so  that  much  of  the  matter  was  fully 
assimilated.  Charlemagne,  at  the  height  of  his  power, 
resting  in  his  career  of  conquest  and  organization, 
used  to  surround  himself  with  the  wisest  and  best 

men  of  his  day,  in  the  palace  where  his  hetero- 
geneous family  made  their  home,  and  become  a 
pupil  for  the  time  at  the  feet  of  Alcuin,  or  some 

other  of  the  group  of  sages  that  he  had  attracted 

from  Britain,  Ireland  and  Germany.  His  feasts  of 

reason  may  have  been  more  select  than  ours,  in 
such  choice  company,  but  they  were  not  more 
enjoyable;  for  we  could  call  upon  authors  to  fur 


160  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

nish  such  glorious  floods  of  thought  on  matters  of 
supremest  human  interest,  as  in  his  day  had  never 
been  dreamed  of  in  Europe.  My  intercourse  with  the 
Johnsons  has  always  been  tinctured  with  the  asso- 
ciations of  that  visit,  and  I remained  there  at  work 
until  the  summer  of  1866,  at  which  time  I found 
myself  clear  of  debt,  with  a small  margin  avail- 
able for  other  operations.  Times  were  good  then, 
if  we  compare  them  with  the  dull  seasons  with 
which  we  have  been  familiar  of  late  years,  but 
they  were  so  far  below  the  level  that  we  had 
grown  accustomed  to  during  the  war,  that  we  had 
no  hesitation  in  saying  they  could  not  be  worse. 

For  two  years  from  that  time  my  home  was  at 
Oakland,  with  my  family,  and  my  industry  enabled 
me  to  feel  that  I was  not  a drone  in  the  little 
hive.  Fifteen  hours  per  day,  steadily  applied  in 
gainful  labor,  will  supply  almost  any  young  man’s 
wants;  and,  whenever  the  materials  were  to  be 
had,  that  was  my  average,  unless,  as  sometimes 
happened,  I struck  a quantity  of  material  made 

up,  and  was  able  to  drive  a profitable  business 
peddling5  my  merchandise.  In  April,  1868,  it  became 
necessary  once  more  to  strike  out  away  from  home, 
where  there  was  not  room  to  employ  much  help. 
My  father  rendered  me  all  the  aid  in  his  power, 

and  was  never  tired  of  assisting  my  enterprise,  but 
I wanted  the  more  profitable  scope  which  can  only 
be  found  in  town  life.  So  I went  to  La  Crosse, 

to  consult  my  excellent  friend,  Mons  Anderson, 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


161 


once  more,  and  make  preparations  for  business, 
either  in  that  locality  or  elsewhere.  My  capital, 
not  yet  very  large,  was  still  enough  to  enable  me 
to  feel  that  I could  stand  alone,  and  the  fact  that 

under  all  my  series  -of  reverses  I had  defrauded  no 
man  of  a cent,  was  a valuable  joroperty  among  men 
of  business.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  I engaged 
to  take  the  crops  of  broom-corn  from  thirty  acres 

of  land  near  La  Crosse,  several  farmers  having 

planted  areas  of  land  for  me,  amounting  to  that  in 
the  aggregate.  While  on  my  travels  to  determine 
where  I should  locate,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to 
find  a friend  in  the  person  of  Deacon  Smith,  in 
one  of  the  little  towns  on  my  list.  My  guide  was 
at  a loss  to  find  the  house  of  the  Deacon,  but 

acting  upon  my  own  idea,  I stopped  at  a house  near 
that  occupied  by  him,  and  my  guide  waiting  at 
the  gate,  I mounted  the  steps  of  the  dwelling. 
To  my  inquiry,  “Is  the  Deacon  in?”  came  the 
answer  from  two  ladies,  that  he  was  up-stairs;  and 
1 was  about  to  ascend  under  their  guidance,  when 
some  flippancy  of  manner  on  the  part  of  my  guides 
warned  me  I was  in  bad  company.  I had  strayed 
into  a den  of  whose  vileness  the  better  class  of 
people  knew  nothing,  and  but  little  time  was  lost 
before  my  friend,  the  Deacon,  relieved  himself  from 
such  neighbors. 

After  the  fullest  consideration  of  all  the  advantages 
which  were  offered  me  in  many  towns,  I could  find 
no  place  better  adapted  for  my  business  than  La. 


ii 


1G2 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Crosse.  Many  of  the  most  flourishing’  business  men 
in  the  Northwest  have  made  that  place  the  center 
of  their  operations,  and  circumstances  daily  demon- 
strate their  wisdom  in  that  choice  as  well  as  in  other 
j^articulars.  My  broom-corn  venture  turned  out  first- 
rate.  General  Frost  did  not  visit  the  country  that  year 
until  my  supplies  were  housed.  The  crop  being  new 
among  the  farmers,  I was  greatly  in  demand  at  thresh- 
ing-time, as  nobody  else  in  that  neighborhood  was 
competent  to  direct  the  operation,  and  the  machine 
for  the  purpose  was  made  under  my  inspection.  I 
was  more  than  a little  proud  of  that  circumstance, 
although  I could  not  claim  credit  as  an  inventor. 
One  of  the  consequences  of  my  removal  from  Oakland 
which  I most  regretted,  was  the  necessary  separation 
from  a gentleman  whose  mind  had  already  given 
promise  of  the  ripe  excellence  which  the  world  of  let- 
ters has  since  that  time  liberally  acknowledged.  Prof. 
R.  B.  Anderson,  a Norseman  by  descent,  was  known 
to  me  when  both  of  us  were  children,  but  it  was 
not  until  my  last  two  years  at  home  that  our  inter- 
course ripened  into  intimacy  and  friendship.  He  was 
then  one  of  the  faculty  at  Albion  College,  and  in 
high  repute,  but  his  eminent  abilities  entitled  him 
to  a wider  field,  such  as  he  now  enjoys  in  the  State 
University  at  Madison,  and  as  a lecturer  in  request 
throughout  the  Union.  While  I remained  at  Oakland 
the  pleasure  of  his  society  was  one  of  my  most  feli- 
citous means  of  mental  culture,  as  he  possessed  a fund 
of  patience  as  well  as  of  scholarship,  which  rendered 


OUT  FROM  TITE  DARKNESS. 


163 


his  visits  supremely  delightful.  The  first  book  that 
was  published  by  him,  “ America  Not  Discovered 
by  Columbus,”  exercised  the  editorial  mind  all  over 
the  civilized  world  as  few  works  in  our  day  have 
done,  and  prepared  the  way,  pioneer  fashion,  for  the 
very  acceptable  series  of  works  which  have  won  for 
him  the  friendship  and  esteem  of  such  men  as  Long- 
fellow, Max  Muller,  and  a whole  host  besides,  the 
poets  and  literati  of  our  day.  I recall  him  now, 
not  as  the  brilliant  writer  and  translator,  but  as  the 
amiable  and  faithful  companion  who  devoted  whole 
days  to  me,  when  I could  offer  him  no  return,  reading 
and  writing  for  me  and  unfolding  the  powers  of  my 
mind  in  a thousand  ways,  which  none  but  the  highly 
gifted  could  have  imagined  possible.  Naturally  it 
was  a deprivation  to  be  removed  from  intimate  asso- 
ciation with  such  as  Prof.  Anderson;  but  circum- 
stances have  often  since  that  time  enabled  us  to 
foregather,  as  the  Scotch  would  say,  and  I have  found 
but  little  change  in  him,  notwithstanding  his  successes. 

As  my  business  increased,  it  became  necessary  for 
me  to  travel  over  a wide  radius  and  to  handle  large 
sums  of  money,  often  returning  from  a trip  with 
more  than  $2,000  as  the  outcome  of  my  transactions. 
I was  away  on  one  occasion  during  my  residence 
at  Oakland,  and  on  my  return  arrived  at  Prairie 
du  Chien  with  more  than  $1,500  in  my  wallet,  which 
it  was  my  custom  to  carry  concealed  from  prying 
eyes.  I had  often  stopped  at  the  Dousman  House,  and 
was  so  well  known  there  that,  if  I had  wished,  my 


164 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


bill  could  have  stood  over  from  one  trip  to  another. 
New  proprietors  had  just  taken  possession,  and  they 
knew  nothing  of  me,  so  that  when  after  dinner  I 
was  about  to  quit  the  office  without  paying  for  my 
accommodation,  my  action  caused  the  new  host  some 
surprise.  I had  only  some  very  small  amount  in 
loose  change  in  my  pocket,  and  I did  not  want  to 
go  beyond  my  fractional  currency  while  there  was 
almost  a room-full  of  strangers  to  see  my  mysterious 
wallet.  Greatly  to  my  chagrin,  the  proprietor  assumed! 
that  I wanted  to  dead-beat  my  dinner  and  then  was  V 
about  to  vamoose  the  ranch,  so  instead  of  speaking 
to  me  quietly,  as  one  with  more  intellect  might  have 
done,  he  spoke  aloud,  in  a very  insolent  manner. 
All  ideas  of  prudence  took  flight  immediately;  the 
old  Adam  was  roused — nay,  Cain  himself  was  upper- 
most; my  wallet  was  used  first  to  smack  his  impudent 
face,  and  then  flauntingly  opened  to  pay  his  demand 
and  prove  him  the  blockhead  that  he  was.  All 
this  was  very  stupid,  but  there  are  many  good  Chris- 
tians that  could  not  meekly  endure  to  be  treated  as 
dead  beats.  As  soon  as  my  bills  were  opened  out 
on  the  counter,  reflection  told  me  how  rash  and  in- 
considerate I had  been;  but  there  was  no  use  in 
lamentations.  I thought  of  the  Italian  proverb 
die  sara  sara , and  resolved  to  see  it  through,  as 
“ what  is  to  be,  will  be  ” any  way.  There  was 
much  excitement  in  the  room,  the  landlord  apologized 
until  his  civility  was  more  oppressive  than  his  inso- 
lence, and  disliking  to  meet  him  any  more  I removed 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


165 


my  few  effects  and  myself  to  another  house  to  await 
the  train  next  morning.  I can’t  recall  the  name  of 
that  other  hotel,  although  I ought  to  remember  it 
surely. 

All  that  evening  my  conscience  chided  me  for  my 
impatience;  and  my  wisdom,  coming  as  usual  too 
late  to  be  made  useful,  revealed  the  possible  con- 
sequences of  my  action.  My  best  course  would  have 
been  to  have  handed  over  my  wallet  and  contents 
ffor  safe  keeping  to  the  hotel  proprietor,  but  I did 
not  know  him  personally,  and  for  that  reason  I 
trusted  my  own  sagacity.  My  anxiety  haunted  me 
all  the  evening,  and  even  after  I was  in  bed  sleep 
seemed  impossible.  It  was  useless  to  examine  and 
re-examine  the  door,  which  I had  securely  locked  be- 
fore retiring.  My  fears  were  insurmountable.  At  last 
sleep  fell  upon  me,  but  such  a sleep  as  that  which 
breeds  nightmare.  There  was  no  rest  in  it.  The 
soldier  sleeping  beside  his  cannon  in  the  embrasure 
which  he  must  defend  with  his  life  before  daybreak 
might  sleep  sweetly  by  comparison.  I might  have 
been  asleep  about  an  hour,  or  maybe  less,  for  I had 
no  means  of  knowing  exactly,  when  some  tingling 
sensation  all  over  me  heralded  the  approach  of  evil. 
Had  I jumped  out  of  bed  at  once,  or  even  shouted, 
all  might  have  been  well;  but  my  faculties  were  in 
a torpor  such  as  I never  remember  in  all  my  wak- 
ing life.  I lay  there  without  uttering  one  word, 
hardly  daring  to  breathe,  while  the  stealthy,  cat-like 
footsteps  came  along  the  hall  and  paused  in  front 


166 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  my  bedroom  door.  I would  have  given  all  the 
money  in  the  wallet,  which  I had  hidden  in  my 
pillow  inside  the  pillowslip,  for  a loaded  revolver, 
or  even  a knife,  but  the  courage  which  never  be- 
fore utterly  failed  me  was  at  so  low  an  ebb  that 
I doubt  if  I could  have  used  arms.  I thought  of 
that  poor  fellow  beneath  my  window  in  New  York, 
and  absolutely  trembled.  The  door  would  not  open 
easily,  as  my  key  was  left  in  the  lock,  but  that  was 
dropped  silently  after  a few  seconds,  I heard  it 
swing  against  the  door  as  though  suspended  by  a 
wire,  and  then  within  a minute  the  door  slowly 
opened.  The  worst  countenance  that  ever  libeled  the 
human  face  divine  might  have  been  considered  humane 
by  the  side  of  that  vulpine  visage,  in  which  greed  and 
cruelty  contested  empire  with  an  almost  devilish 
cunning.  At  the  first  glance  I knew  that  my  childish 
subterfuge  of  putting  my  wallet  in  the  pillowslip 
would  avail  me  nothing;  that  wretch  could  have 
found  my  treasure  though  it  had  been  buried  beneath 
the  fires  of  Hecla.  That  lantern  in  his  hand 
seemed  hardly  necessary  to  guide  him,  he  was  so 
familiar  with  the  place,  but  he  stepped  cautiously, 
though  he  was  slow  in  his  movements  no  longer. 
He  was  armed;  I could  see  the  handle  of  a revolver 
protruding  from  his  pocket,  but  the  weapon  tliat 
horrified  me  most  was  a long-bladed,  glistening  knife, 
which  would  be  called  into  requisition  a dozen  times 
before  the  noisier  instrument  of  death  would  be  em- 
ployed. Now  that  my  enemy  was  almost  upon  me, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  1 f)7 

within  a few  feet  of  my  bed,  my  terror  was  natural ; 
but  why  should  I have  been  so  unnerved  before  he 
entered  the  room  ? It  was  a momentary  respite 
when  he  took  up  my  garments  one  by  one,  exam- 
ined them  and  noiselessly  replaced  them  with  care- 
less ease;  but  he  stood  over  me  now,  and  feigned 
sleep  was  my  only  chance  for  escape.  Surely  he 
knew  that  I was  blind,  and  he  could  not  dread 
recognition.  To  hold  my  breath  now  would  reveal 
my  secret  wakefulness;  I must  breathe  with  laborious 
regularity,  or  die.  The  pillow  drawn  from  beneath 
my  head  did  not  arouse  me;  but  I feared  that  I must 
cry  out,  so  intense  was  my  need  for  that  money, 
when  the  wallet  was  drawn  from  its  hiding  - place. 
Within  one  minute  from  that  time  he  had  left  the 
room,  replacing  the  key  in  the  lock,  withdrawing 
the  wire,  and  locking  the  door  from  the  outside, 
the  better  to  conceal  his  depredation.  Fain  would  I 
have  cried  out  now,  before  he  could  escape  with 
my  hard  earnings,  to  conceal  them  with  his  match- 
less ingenuity;  but  I dared  not  until  his  footsteps 
died  away  in  whispering  echoes,  I knew  not  where. 
Then  my  courage  returned,  the  glamour  had  lost 
its  power;  I shrieked  unceasingly,  holding  my  door 
the  while,  clamoring  until  every  person  in  the  house 
was  awake.  I would  not  unlock  the  door  at  first, 
when  a crowd  assembled  in  the  hall,  but  when  the 
proprietor  demanded  admittance  his  voice  gave  me 
assurance,  and  I called  everyone  into  the  room,  to 
hear  the  story  of  my  loss.  There  was  no  one  in 


1()8 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  hotel  answering  the  description,  no  guest  nor 

servant  except  those  present,  and  my  bewilderment 
was  as  complete  as  theirs.  Sleep  was  out  of  the 
question  for  me  and  for  everyone  else  that  night. 

What  to  do  without  the  money  I knew  not.  My 

own  portion  I could  lose,  but  how  could  I face  my 

creditors?  Would  they  believe  a story  so  wild? 
The  desperate  depression  under  which  I now  labored 
was  worse  than  the  agony  of  fear. 

Morning  dawned  at  last,  and  the  gray  light  was 
never  more  welcome.  The  police  were  as  little  able 
as  ourselves  to  suggest  any  clue;  they  could  find  no 
trace  of  the  lock  having  been  tampered  with,  and  a 
professional  so  acute  would  leave  no  chance  for  de- 
tection. With  what  a loathing  I sat  down  to  the 
table,  to  rise  again  without  breaking  my  fast!  I was 
full  of  the  terrible  disappointment  that  it  was  my 
misfortune  to  carry  to  Oakland,  yet  impatient  to  get 
away  from  the  scene  of  my  peril  and  my  disaster. 
The  sympathy  that  was  freely  given  me  by  my  fel- 
low-travelers fell  upon  deaf  ears.  My  sorrow  filled 
every  sense. 

The  cars  arrived,  the  time  for  departure  was  at 
hand,  but,  before  quitting  Prairie  du  Chien  for  the 
last  time  in  my  life,  I would  look  once  more  at  the 
bedroom.  There  was  the  pillow  upon  which  my 
head  had  rested,  with  the  impression  undisturbed! 
Why  was  that  so,  when  the  robber  had  drawn  it 
away  from  under  me?  I took  the  pillow  in  my 
hands,  and  a fainting  sensation  came  over  me  as  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


169 


wallet  dropped  upon  the  bed.  Every  greenback  was 
there,  as  I had  left  it  overnight.  My  robbery  had 
been  a nightmare,  and  all  the  incidents  a dream  up 
to  the  moment  of  my  shrieking  and  jumping  out  of 
bed  to  rouse  the  inmates.  The  blood  rushed  anew 
to  my  heart,  my  brain  reeled,  but  I returned  to  Oak- 
land a happy  man.  Dreams  are  as  various  as  the 
characteristics  of  human  life,  and  they  have  figured 
in  all  history,  sacred  as  well  as  secular:  sometimes 
projected  from  unknown  heights,  for  the  noblest  pur- 
poses; sometimes  welling  up  from  the  depths  of  hu- 
man consciousness,  so  remote  from  the  daily  event  as 
to  resemble  prophesy;  and  yet  again  sometimes  offer- 
ing nothing  to  our  view  but  the  distorted  picture  of 
our  own  hopes  and  fears.  There  was  nothing,  prob- 
ably, in  the  character  of  the  shepherd  king  Pharaoh 
that  could  account  for  the  dream  with  which  that 
monarch  was  favored  as  to  years  of  scarcity  following 
upon  seasons  of  exceptional  plenty;  yet  that  dream, 
and  its  interpretation,  changed  the  destiny  of  Joseph, 
so  that,  instead  of  languishing  in  prison,  where  he 
might  have  died  under  the  shadow  of  a false  accusa- 
tion, he  was  removed  to  the  palace,  and  became  the 
chief  counsellor  and  prime  minister  of  the  king.  The 
influence  of  that  dream  did  not  end  there;  it  brought 
home  to  the  brethren  of  Joseph  the  enormity  of 
their  crime  against  him,  while  they  were  succored 
in  their  extremity,  because  they  had  spared  his  life. 
The  children  of  Israel  went  down  into  bondage  be- 
cause of  the  sins  o**  their  fathers;  but  that  time  of 


170 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


tribulation  was  not  all  darkness.  The  culture  of 
Egypt  was  at  that  time  hardly  surpassed  on  the 
earth,  and  Moses  was  the  natural  exponent  of  the 
Divine  will  in  the  mighty  scheme  of  deliverance,  con- 
quest and  development,  which  gave  to  the  Jewish  na- 
tion lawgivers,  literature,  and  a line  of  kings  through 
whom  has  come  salvation  for  the  race.  The  dream 
of  Pharaoh  has  been  a reality  for  all  mankind,  and 
it  grates  cruelly  upon  my  inner  consciousness  when 
people  say,  “it  was  only  a dream.”  An  overworked 
professor,  defeated  by  a problem,  rose  in  his  sleep, 
and  attained  the  solution  which  was  denied  to  his 
waking  hours.  My  dream  bore  in  upon  my  mind,  in 
enduring  form,  lessons  of  great  moment  to  my  hap- 
j^iness,  which  all  the  anxieties  of  the  day  might  have 
failed  to  render  permanent. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


“ Love  took  up  the  harp  of  life,  and  smote  on  all  the  chords  with 
might; 

Smote  the  chord  of  self,  that,  trembling,  passed  in  music  out  of 
sight.” — Tennyson' s Locksley  Hall . 

My  days  at  Oakland  were  ended,  and  the  steady 
pull  of  much  more  exciting  business  at  La  Crosse 
engrossed  my  faculties.  One  amiable  old  man,  Knut 
Knutson,  an  old  and  wealthy  resident  of  that  town, 
took  much  interest  in  my  enterprise,  and  never  wea- 
ried of  well  doing.  Many  busybodies  gave  me  their 
advice  every  day,  and,  as  soon  as  their  tongues  were 
silent,  my  ears  hastened  to  forget  their  garrulity.  It 
was  not  so  when  my  friend  Knutson  spoke.  His 
words  were  weighed  with  scrupulous  care,  and  his 
promises  were  precious.  His  introduction  and  recom- 
mend made  me  a welcome  customer  in  any  store  that 
carried  such  materials  as  I required;  and,  if  any  spe- 
cial bargains  could  be  secured  for  my  business  by 
prompt  cash,  the  old  man  was  ready  with  his  never- 
failing  pocketbook  or  bank  account.  Once,  in  an 
emergency  of  that  kind,  he  gave  me  his  endorsement 
for  nine  hundred  dollars,  and  he  rendered  the  service 
with  such  grace  as  greatly  enhanced  the  benefit.  The 
venerable  old  man,  then  nearly  seventy  years  of  age, 

suffered  afterwards  severely  from  his  too  great  facil- 

171 


172 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


ity  in  believing  the  words  of  needy  strangers,  and 
others;  but,  for  my  own  part,  I rejoice  that  his  dis- 
interested benevolence  in  my  own  case  never  cost 
him  one  hour’s  solicitude  nor  one  cent  of  loss.  When 
removing  from  Oakland  to  La  Crosse,  I was  con- 
fident that  my  small  capital,  in  addition  to  the  tools 
and  machinery  that  had  been  retained  ever  since  my 
first  start  as  a manufacturer  in  Fort  Atkinson,  would 
be  enough  for  all  purposes;  but  no  sooner  was  I 
fully  embarked  in  my  venture  than  the  great  differ- 
ence between  my  former  locations  in  Wisconsin  and 
that  in  which  I was  then  engaged  began  to  dawn 
upon  me.  I could  command  almost  any  number  of 
orders,  at  reasonable  profits,  and  my  chances  for  ob- 
taining materials  were  much  better.  Except  during 
my  stay  in  Chicago,  which  was  in  the  last  year  of 
the  war,  I had  found  no  place  so  entirely  up  with 
the  times  as  La  Crosse;  and  the  business  men  were 
so  earnest  in  the  spirit  of  good-fellowship  with  which 
they  took  hold  of  a new  comer,  that  my  La  Crosse 
experiences  are  among  the  brightest  that  I can 
reckon  in  my  town  life.  My  esteemed  friend,  Knut- 
son, was  my  banker  in  many  a iDrofitable  undertak- 
ing which  his  own  wisdom  had  suggested,  and  his 
good  nature  made  his  voice  full  and  melodious  at  an 
age  when  piping  treble  predominates  with  most  men. 
I could  not  see  his  face,  but  out  of  his  voice  and  the 
grasp  of  his  hand  I could  draw  a picture,  in  my  own 
mind,  of  his  personal  appearance,  which  came  very 
near  a resemblance;  albeit,  it  would,  perhaps,  have 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


173 


stood  as  well  for  a faithful  resemblance  of  that  other 
Knut,  or  Canute,  who  gave  to  his  courtiers  in  En- 
gland so  apt  a rebuke  as  to  their  flattery.  When- 
ever an  hour’s  leisure  enabled  me  to  do  so,  I en- 
joyed to  sit  down  with  the  old  man,  or  to  work 
near  him  on  any  silent  task,  and  listen  to  his  stories 
of  the  Norsemen  of  old,  with  which  his  mind  was 
stored,  in  the  long  winters  in  Norway,  when  he  was 
much  younger.  The  scenes  of  his  childhood  and 
young  manhood  had  for  him  a charm  which  flowed 
into  the  minds  of  his  audience,  and  it  was  delightful 
to  hear  him  expatiate  upon  the  beauties  of  our  father- 
land.  I am  not  among  those  who  would  advocate 
the  maintenance  of  national  rivalries  in  this  new  and 
vigorous  commonwealth,  where  our  children  will  be 
known  as  Americans,  but  I should  be  ashamed  of 
myself  if  the  day  ever  comes  when  I shall  cease  to 
be  proud  of  being  a Scandinavian. 

Returning,  as  my  sojourn  in  La  Crosse  requires 
that  I should  do,  to  my  friend,  Mons  Anderson, 
whose  kindness  to  me  at  all  times  makes  the  sub- 
ject peculiarly  pleasant,  I can  recall  him  to  my 
mind’s  eye  as  he  first  came  to  this  country,  his  land 
of  promise  and  performance.  He  landed  in  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  at 

the  same  time  that  our  family  arrived,  in  1847,  as 

I have  said  elsewhere,  being  only  a boy  in  his  teens. 
For  the  first  two  or  three  years  of  his  life  in 

America,  he  was  in  the  employ  of  a gentleman  in 

Milwaukee,  afterwards  eminent  as  a banker;  and  it 


174 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


is  just  possible  that  his  association  with  the  financier 
tinctured  his  whole  life  with  a wise  regard  for 
money,  which  has  always  been  used  by  him  as  a 
master  in  the  science  of  finance,  directing  its  action 
toward  worthy  ends.  He  was  not  a rich  man  when 
he  removed  to  La  Crosse,  unless  his  native  energies 
and  skill  may  be  counted  as  wealth.  Many  men 
commencing  an  independent  career  with  untold  thou- 
sands, are  practically  poorer  than  was  my  friend, 
with  only  five  dollars  in  his  pocket,  and  that  was, 
I believe,  the  whole  of  the  floating  capital  with 
which  Mr.  Anderson  began  his  La  Crosse  experi- 
ences. Twelve  months  spent  as  a clerk  showed  his 
capacity  as  a salesman,  and  won  him  the  respect 
of  a wide  circle  of  friends,  who  were  pleased  to  find 
him  at  the  end  of  that  time  ready  to  commence 
business  on  his  own  account.  The  enterprise  upon 
which  he  had  entered  grew  steadily  under  his  hands 
and  his  trade,  wholesale  as  well  as  retail,  had  as- 
sumed lai*ge  proportions  before  the  opening  of  the 
war,  in  1 860-61.  He  was  a sagacious  buyer  before 
high  prices  ruled,  and  was  able  coolly  to  anticipate 
and  provide  for  contingencies  in  the  presence  of 
which  less  capable  men  embarked  in  business  were 
utterly  lost.  His  profits  were  immense,  and  yet  he 
was  able  to  undersell  his  neighbors,  so  that  he  at- 
tracted purchasers  fiom  a vast  area  of  the  North- 
west. It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  a detailed 
description  of  his  various  successes;  suffice  it,  that  the 
end  of  the  war  found  him  a millionaire.  Thousands 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


175 


of  shrewd  traders,  keen  at  buying  and  selling,  who 
had  built  up  piles  of  money  during  the  “onpleas- 
antness,”  made  shipwreck  of  their  fortunes  when  Lee 
surrendered,  by  continuing  to  purchase  on  the  war 
basis;  but  there  was  no  foolishness  of  that  kind 
noticeable  in  my  friend.  With  him  there  was  an 
instinctive  knowledge  as  to  what  should  be  done, 
and  what  left  undone;  beyond  instinct,  indeed,  it 
was  insight,  the  best  attribute  of  intelligence.  That 
he  should  amass  a great  fortune  and  retain  it,  was 
quite  in  the  natural  order  of  things.  His  business 
premises  are  now  the  largest  in  La  Crosse,  and  they 
are  not  surpassed  by  any  in  Wisconsin.  Hundreds 
of  families  depend  upon  his  undertakings  for  good 
homes  and  comfortable  jiositions  in  society,  and  he 
is  one  of  the  rare  exceptions  among  merchants  in 
this  age  of  “ smart  men,”  whose  word  is  his  bond. 

On  my  arrival  in  La  Crosse  in  the  spring  of  1S6S, 
to  consult  Mr.  Anderson,  that  gentleman  suggested 
that  I should  start  a shop  for  broom-making  in  that 
city.  My  arrangements  had  already  been  made  for 
a few  months  in  advance,  but  the  advice  so  earn- 
estly given  was  sustained  by  such  unanswerable  argu- 
ments that  in  the  fall  of  that  year  I was  domiciled 
in  La  Crosse.  I had  long  before  that  time  experi- 
enced his  kindness,  and  become  his  debtor  for 
many  substantial  proofs  of  his  confidence  and  regard, 
and  my  faith  in  his  counsel  was  unbounded.  My 
business  prospered  as  he  had  foretold,  and  my  three 
years’  experiences  in  that  city  were  among  the  hap- 


170 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


piest  and  most  evenly  prosperous  of  my  life.  Often- 
times I was  the  recipient  of  kindnesses  from  utter 
strangers,  which  were  to  me  at  that  time  mysteri- 
ous, but  which  I have  since  learned  were  due  to 
the  widespreading  influence  of  Mons  Anderson,  ex- 
erted without  ostentation,  producing  results  which 
were  to  me  and  to  many  others  most  gratifying. 
Little  better  than  three  years  since,  Mr.  Anderson 
started  for  Europe,  revisiting  Norway,  and  traveling 
through  all  the  principal  cities  of  that  continent, 
accompanied  by  several  members  of  his  family.  The 
change  which  time  and  energy  had  worked  in  the 
fortunes  of  the  once  penniless  boy  were  doubtless 
highly  appreciated  by  the  merchant  prince;  but  his 
manners  were  as  unassuming,  and  as  far  from  the 
pretensions  of  the  shoddy  parvenu  as  can  well  be 
imagined.  His  return  to  La  Crosse  in  the  summer 
of  1877  was  an  occasion  for  great  rejoicing  in  his 
wide  circle  of  friends,  who  gave  him  a generous 
welcome  home.  I am  very  proud  to  be  permitted 
to  claim  Mons  Anderson  as  one  of  my  best  friends 
outside  my  own  family.  I have,  I think,  mentioned 
elsewhere,  that  many  others  in  La  Crosse  besides 
Mons  Anderson  and  Mr.  Knutson  befriended  me, 
and  in  that  respect  I must  not  omit  to  mention  a 
gentleman  who  was  then  prominent  in  the  public 
life  of  La  Crosse.  He  was  a storekeeper  on  a very 
large  scale,  with  responsibilities  enough  on  his 
shoulders  to  have  warranted  him  in  refusing  atten- 
tion to  anything  outside  his  own  wholesale  and  retail 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


177 


stores;  but,  as  is  oftentimes  the  case,  the  very  mul- 
tiplicity of  his  affairs  gave  herculean  energies  to  the 
man,  and  he  found  leisure  to  render  to  many  others 
as  well  as  to  myself  essential  services. 

One  incident,  among  many,  will  illustrate  the  char- 
acter of  my  friend.  Soon  after  my  arrival  in  La 
Crosse,  almost  a stranger,  I found  myself  in  a pecu- 
liarly awkward  strait,  and  my  natural  sensitiveness 
disinclined  me  to  impose  on  the  good  nature  of  my 
friend  Anderson,  or  on  my  more  recent  friend  Knutson, 
by  informing  them  how  I was  situated.  Circum- 
stances made  Mr.  Solberg  acquainted  with  my  position, 
and  he  rendered  me  a series  of  unlooked-for,  dis- 
interested aids,  which  were  priceless  and  invaluable. 
It  will  be  seen  that  my  venture  in  La  Crosse  was 
entered  upon  under  circumstances  full  of  excellent 
augury.  My  brooms  had  a good  name,  and  I tried 
to  make  them  worthy  of  their  reputation.  “ Good 
wine  needs  no  bush,”  said  the  ancient  proverb;  but 
good  brooms  were  all  the  better  appreciated  because 
the  leading  men  of  the  town  said  their  best  things 
in  my  behalf.  Wherever  in  my  travels  I found  a 
man  that  dealt  with  any  of  the  first-class  houses  in 
La  Crosse,  I could  reckon  with  confidence  upon  a 
customer,  and  I could  ascertain  without  difficulty  the 
business  character  of  any  person  that  wanted  credit 
in  my  round.  That  was  no  small  advantage  to  a 
young  beginner,  as  usually  such  persons  as  myself 
have  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  all  the  dead  beats  in 

a community  before  arriving  at  the  basis  of  substantial 
12 


178 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


success.  I was  the  best  advertised  broom-maker  in 
America,  although  my  outlays  in  that  direction  had 
been  very  trivial.  On  my  arrival  in  La  Crosse  from 
Prairie  du  Chien  by  boat,  my  trunk,  containing  nearly 
two  hundred  dollars  worth  of  goods,  was  put  ashore 
from  the  boat  and  the  check  collected.  I supposed  as 
a matter  of  course  that  my  valuables  were  stored, 
and  in  my  misplaced  confidence  went  off  into  the 
country  to  look  after  my  broom-corn  interest.  On 
my  return  from  the  rural  districts,  many  days  having 
elapsed,  the  results  of  my  carelessness  duly  appeared; 
the  trunk  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  No  blame 
attached  to  the  steamboat  people;  the  fault  was  my  own 
and  that  of  the  thieves  who  had  forgotten  the  com- 
mandment. Just  at  that  time  there  was  a fierce  war 
between  rival  steamboat  companies,  and  their  rights 
were  espoused  in  an  all  but  sanguinary  manner  by 
their  respective  newspapers.  Mr.  Pomeroy,  widely 
known  as  “ Brick”  Pomeroy,  was  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  La  Crosse  Democrat , the  paper  which  was 
opposed  to  the  company  in  whose  boat  I had  traveled, 
and  no  sooner  was  the  loss  of  my  trunk  made 
known  than  editoral  articles,  letters,  paragraphs,  and 
indeed  every  form  of  missile  known  to  the  press, 
was  hurled  at  the  peccant  company.  It  was  assumed 
for  the  purposes  of  warfare  that  the  steamboat  com- 
pany had  actually  stolen  my  trunk  to  compensate 
them  for  the  low  prices  which  prevailed  on  the 
river.  The  Republican  opened  fire  immediately  upon 
the  Democrat , and  the  fun  grew  fast  and  furious. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


179 


My  part  in  the  strife  was  almost  purely  passive,  ex- 
cept when  demanded  for  the  purposes  of  interview- 
ers. In  common  honesty  I was  bound  to  admit  that 
the  fault  was  my  own,  but  that  had  little  or  no  effect 
upon  the  controversy.  For  ten  weeks  the  campaign 
raged  on  both  sides.  The  company  accused  of  theft 
went  to  an  expense  more  than  twice  the  value  of 
my  property,  in  trying,  without  avail,  to  trace  it;  and 
their  organ  in  the  press  published  weekly  bulletins 
as  to  the  status  of  the  investigation;  but  the  enemy, 
though  vanquished  in  that  way,  could  not  be  silenced, 
and  all  his  guns  were  double  shotted.  The  imme- 
diate consequences  of  all  this  newspaper  conflict  was 
that  I was  the  best  advertised  broom-maker  in  the  West. 
The  people  sent  their  orders  for  miles  around,  to 
recuperate  my  losses.  At  the  end  of  ten  weeks 
from  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  my  trunk  was 
found  one  morning  on  the  front  steps  of  the  Inter- 
national Hotel,  La  Crosse,  having  been  left  there 
by  some  of  the  Arabs,  who  silently  stole  away 
during  the  night;  and  although  the  trunk  had  sus- 
tained some  damage,  the  bottom  having  been  knocked 
out  by  the  marauders,  the  contents  were  uninjured, 
complete  as  on  the  day  of  the  loss.  Both  of  the 
newspapers  used  me  well,  as  I was  advertised  in 
each  of  them  for  twelve  months  free  of  cost,  and 
the  thieves  allowed  their  consciences  to  luxuriate  for 
my  benefit,  as  probably  they  had  never  luxuriated 
before,  since  their  first  entry  on  criminal  practices. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  year  I had  made  clear 


180 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


about  fifteen  hundred  dollars  out  of  my  business, 
besides  living  in  good  style,  and  covering  considerable 
outlay  in  fitting  up  my  premises,  and  traveling  in 
the  establishment  of  my  trade.  Broom-corn  had  been 
.easily  obtained  in  sufficient  quantity  and  at  moderate 
rates,  while  profits  on  the  manufactured  article  had 
ruled  high.  Workmen  were  sufficiently  numerous  to 
enable  me  to  select  efficient  and  steady  hands,  and  I 
paid  the  best  wages  known  to  the  trade,  so  that  my 
manufactures  did  not  suffer  by  comparison  with  any 

others  in  the  same  line  offered  in  the  market.  The 

* 

prosperous  beginning  thus  made,  acclimated  the  new 
industry,  and  there  was  no  necessity  for  special  induce- 
ments the  following  season;  farmers  were  quite  will- 
ing to  plant  broom-corn  in  reasonable  quantity. 
Seventy-five  acres  were  engaged  in  the  spring  of 
1869,  an  advance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent 
in  amount  over  the  area  engaged  in  the  spring  of 
1868,  and  still  the  quantity  was  inadequate  to  meet 
the  demand,  nearly  one  hundred  acres  of  broom- 
corn  being  actually  made  up  in  my  factory.  I 
extended  my  travels  as  far  as  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
and  did  a very  prosperous  business  in  that  city,  in 
the  summer  and  fall  of  1869.  My  first  patron  in 
that  city  was  Mr.  McQuellin,  and  subsequently  Mr. 
Kelly,  the  leading  partner  in  another  large  grocery 
firm,  not  only  bought  largely  himself  onj  liberal 
terms,  but  induced  other  merchants  to  favor  me  with 
orders,  which  kept  me  working  my  hands  at  high 
pressure  until  the  rivers  no  longer  admitted  of  navi- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


181 


gation.  The  railroads,  which  now  give  so  many 
benefits,  were  then  beyond  our  reach,  so  that  traffic 
was  attended  with  many  difficulties.  Mr.  Kelly, 
who  is  still  in  business  in  St.  Paul,  has  been  my 
friend  ever  since,  and  he  is,  as  he  deserves  to  be,  a 
very  prosperous  gentleman.  In  the  spring  of  1870 
I did  not  engage  broom-corn,  as  there  were  enough 
farmers  interested  in  the  crop  to  supply  the  demand 
without  any  such  action  on  my  part,  and  I had  pro- 
\ cured  facilities  for  purchasing  supplies  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  much  better  in  quality  than  1 had  ever 
seen  raised  in  Wisconsin.  My  business  continuing 
to  increase,  I built  a shop  of  my  own  in  the  summer 
of  1870,  the  place  theretofore  occupied  by  me  having 
been  rented.  My  own  premises  were  very  much 
better  than  those  I had  rented,  having  been  con- 
structed  expressly  to  meet  my  wants,  and  my  facili- 
ties for  business  were  better  than  ever.  I was  master 
of  the  situation  for  a time;  my  shop  was  my  own 
property,  and  paid  for,  no  man  having  a lien  upon 
it;  and  my  stock  and  materials,  tools,  machinery, 
brooms  and  money,  made  me  feel  wealthy. 

In  my  travels  I was  frequently  called  upon  by 
my  friends  to  assist  them  in  the  selection  of  musical 
instruments.  My  training  in  the  Institute  at  Janes- 
ville aided  me  felicitously  in  the  thorough  education 
of  my  ear,  so  that  a false  note  in  music,  or  a reedy 
and  metallic  tone  in  instrumentation,  strikes  me  like 
a cold  blast.  I could  have  wished  for  a better  insight 
and  more  practice  as  a player,  but  the  few  advantages 


182 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


whk-ji  have  fallen  in  my  path  have  been  of  much 
value  in  my  career.  Sometimes  the  instruments  of 
the  best  makers  fall  far  below  their  reputation,  and 
it  is  of  considerable  importance  to  purchasers  that 
they  should  have  the  advantage  of  the  judgment  of  a 
reliable  expert  before  investing  their  money.  Occa- 
sionally a new  name  is  introduced  among  manufac- 
turers, heralding  the  very  best  class  of  instruments, 
but  skilled  analysis  of  the  claims  of  such  aspirants  for 
fame  and  emolument  will  alone  guard  against  imposi- 
tion. To  pass  by  on  the  other  side  because  a maker 
is  new  in  his  profession,  is  a course  which  cannot  be 
justified.  Stradivarius  was  once  only  a beginner.  A 
dozen  manufacturers  may  be  only  pretentious  frauds, 
•und  that  is  the  case  sometimes  when  great  names  are 
ised,  but  a worthy  percentage  can  always  be  found, 
to  whom  honor  and  repute  are  verities.  My  ear  was 
gratified  not  long  ago  by  the  fullness  of  tone  of  an 
organ  which  I supposed  to  be  one  of  the  best  quality, 
from  a leading  manufacturer,  but  to  my  surprise  I 
found  that  the  maker  is  a Scandinavian,  located  in  the 
city  of  Chicago,  and  doing  his  utmost  to  keep  pace 
with  an  ever-increasing  demand  for  specimens  of  his 
workmanship.  Soon  after  hearing  the  piece  on  the 
Empire  Reed  Organ,  to  which  I have  referred,  I 
availed  myself  of  an  opportunity  to  examine  the 
instrument,  and  found  it  admirable  in  every  respect; 
and  when  subsequently  visiting  Chicago,  I hunted  up 
my  fellow-countryman,  the  manufacturer.  Through 
the  dealer  who  first  introduced  Mr.  Hillstrom’s 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  1 83 

organs,  I ascertained  his  address,  near  Indiana  Street, 
at  164  North  Carpenter,  and  a visit  to  his  establish- 
ment afforded  me  an  opportunity  to  interview  one  of 
the  most  unassuming,  art-loving  men  that  ever  in  any 
age  could  have  devoted  himself  to  an  ennobling  pur- 
suit. Good  fortune  has  so  far  aided  him,  that  his 
period  of  probation  may  be  said  to  have  passed,  and 
already,  thanks  to  his  faithful  labor  and  sound  judg- 
ment, he  takes  his  place  among  the  foremost  makers. 
I have  heard  his  name  mentioned  with  honor  in  Mil- 
waukee as  many  times  as  in  Chicago,  and  in  Dubuque 
he  has  carried  off  the  honors  of  the  Exposition.  My 
friend  has  a prosperous  future  in  store  for  him,  and  he 
will  leave  to  his  children  a name  worth  more  than 
untold  riches  in  a commercial  sense. 

My  social  circle  extended  itself  every  day,  and  my 
friends  were  friends  indeed.  A very  few  words  will 
give  an  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  my  interests 
were  cared  for  in  that  city  by  men  upon  whom  I 
had  no  claim  save  what  their  good  nature  granted. 
Because  of  my  blindness,  correspondence  and  accounts 
were  beyond  my  powers,  except  with  much  labor  and 
under  great  difficulties,  and  to  employ  an  accountant 
and  secretary  could  not  be  ventured  upon,  as,  setting 
aside  the  cost,  my  affairs  would  have  been  entirely 
at  his  mercy.  Two  gentlemen,  who  were  then  assist- 
ants in  leading  businesses  in  La  Crosse,  earning  large 
salaries  — Mr.  O.  C.  Irexrude,  now  a trusted  agent, 
traveling  for  my  friend  Mons  Anderson,  and  Mr. 
Shape,  bookkeeper  in  a wholesale  grocery  store,  and 


184 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


now  in  a large  way  of  business  on  his  own  account 
in  Milwaukee  — undertook  my  bookkeeping  and  cor- 
respondence, without  an  atom  of  remuneration  ex- 
cept my  gratitude;  and  to  their  disinterested  help,  in 
the  manner  indicated,  I owe  much  of  my  temporary 
prosperity.  There  were  several  other  gentlemen  who 
extended  to  me  numberless  courtesies,  including  Mr. 
Konant,  Mr.  Hogan,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rye,  who 
contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  my  happiness  by 
expanding  my  ideas  and  adding  to  my  fund  of  knowl- 
edge. As  soon  as  I found  that  any  man  was  better 
informed  than  his  neighbors,  generally  or  specially, 
it  was  the  habit  of  my  mind  to  attach  myself  to  him, 
just  as  a syphon  dips  into  a reservoir,  and  my  recep- 
tive intellect,  thirsty  always  for  such  treasure,  was  not 
content  until  it  had  drawn  off  the  results  of  his  men- 
tal experience.  There  was  no  sordid  motive  in  this. 
I became  the  disciple  of  every  man  of  superior  at- 
tainments who  would  allow  me  to  learn  from  him 
what  he  could  gather,  as  it  were,  with  a glance. 
Kepler  was  not  sordid  when  he  attached  himself  to 
the  service  of  Tycho  Brahe,  from  whom  he  may  be 
said  to  have  inherited,  as  his  pupil  and  fellow -worker, 
the  Rudolphian  Tables.  Only  in  the  way  I have  set 
foi«th  was  it  possible  for  me  to  continue  my  studies 
until  the  time  to  which  I ambitiously  looked  forward, 
when  I should  win  the  affectionate  regard  of  some 
lady  willing  and  able  to  become  my  better  self  in  all 
my  pursuits.  Already  I had  centered  my  hopes  upon 
the  deao:  woman  who  is  now  my  wife,  but  I dreaded 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


185 


the  possibility  of  some  reverse  in  my  prospects,  which 
might  render  it  impossible  for  me  to  provide  ade- 
quately for  one  so  self-sacrificing  and  faithful.  Men 
are,  in  too  many  cases,  unmindful  as  to  the  future  in 
contracting  matrimonial  engagements,  and  I knew  of 
many  instances  in  which  lovely  women  — I speak  of 
mental  and  moral  beauty  as  the  only  loveliness  which 
I could  fully  appreciate  — had  been  induced  to  leave 
the  circles  in  which  they  had  been  reared,  amid  all 
, the  requirements  of  social  enjoyment,  and  had,  within 
a few  years,  been  reduced  to  penury  and  toil,  unless 
they  would  accept  refuge  with  their  own  families 
from  the  storms  of  adversity  which  the  husbands  of 
their  choice  could  not  escape.  Such  misfortunes  will 
befall  the  wisest  and  best,  under  some  circumstances; 
but  it  is  the  duty  of  every  man  who  aspires  to  be- 
come a husband,  to  use  all  the  circumspection  in  his 
power  to  guard  his  home  circle  from  preventable 
suffering.  Woes  must  come,  at  the  best.  There  is 
no  family  exempt  from  the  common  lot.  Longfellow 
has  said,  with  much  beauty  and  in  sorrowful  truth: 

^ “ There  is  no  flock,  however  watched  and  tended, 

But  one  dead  lamb  is  there; 

There  is  no  fireside,  howsoe’er  defended, 

But  has  one  vacant  chair.” 

I went  to  St.  Louis  in  the  summer  of  1870,  with 
a large  quantity  of  my  manufactures,  but  found  the 
market  very  much  depressed,  and  was  obliged  to  close 
out  my  stock  at  low  figures.  This  was  the  com- 
mencement of  many  misfortunes,  but  I looked  upon 


186 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


it  as  only  one  of  the  petty  oscillations  to  which  the 
most  prosperous  enterprises  are  subject.  My  mind 
was  less  buoyant  than  it  had  been  when  my  visit  to 
St.  Louis  was  concluded,  and  I suppose  that  my  tell- 
tale face,  as  usual,  revealed  my  mental  condition  when 
I returned  home.  Visiting  the  International  Bank  to 
make  my  customary  deposit,  soon  after  my  arrival  in 
La  Crosse,  I found  the  manager  as  conversant  with 
the  general  tenor  of  my  recent  experiences  as  if  I 
had,  in  so  many  words,  made  him  my  confidant — a 
course  I never  scrupled  to  adopt  in  any  circumstances 
that  called  for  counsel  — and,  full  of  the  kindliest 
motives,  that  gentleman  advised  me  to  change  my 
methods  of  procedure.  A grocery  establishment, 
much  more  extensive  than  any  already  existent  in 
La  Crosse,  was  to  be  started  immediately  by  a new 
customer  of  the  bank,  a Mr.  Weaver,  and  that  gen- 
tleman wished  to  handle,  as  one  branch  of  his  busi- 
ness, all  the  brooms  I could  manufacture.  The  prop- 
osition bristled  all  over  with  advantages.  Instead  of 
traveling  all  over  the  country  making  sales,  and  leav- 
ing my  factory  to  run  itself  in  my  absence,  I could 
remain  all  the  time  on  the  spot,  giving  the  impetus 
of  personal  supervision  to  every  branch,  and  securing 
the  highest  efficiency.  Impressed  thus  favorably  by 
the  counsels  of  my  banker,  and  influenced,  as  he  was, 
by  the  idea  that  Mr.  Weaver,  the  new-comer,  was 
in  every  sense  competent  and  reliable  as  a man  of 
business,  I listened  to  the  proposals  gladly,  and  lived 
out  my  dream  of  prosperity  in  a.  very  few  months; 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


187 


Mr.  Weaver  was  remarkable  as  a theorist,  but  almost 
an  utter  failure  as  an  executant.  The  supplies,  which 
under  my  own  management  would  have  been  con- 
verted into  prompt  cash,  less  the  moderate  traveling 
expenses  which  could  not  be  avoided,  now  lodged 
in  his  store  and  warehouse  month  after  month,  until 
navigation  closed,  and  we  were  comparatively  frozen 
in,  so  that  all  my  best  markets  were  beyond  my 
reach.  It  is  the  fault  of  my  sanguine  nature  that, 
despite  some  unhappy  experiences,  I am  prone  to  be- 
lieve that  men  will  do  all  that  they  say,  and  can  do 
all  that  they  undertake. 

Mr.  Weaver  covenanted  with  me  that  he  should 
advance  upon  all  my  brooms  one  dollar  per  dozen 
as  soon  as  they  passed  into  his  hands,  and  within 
thirty  days  pay  the  balance  of  the  full  market  value 
less  ten  per  cent,  commission  for  handling  them.  I 
ought  to  have  held  him  squarely  to  his  bargain,  and 
have  ceased  to  deliver  my  manufactures  as  soon  as 
he  ceased  to  fill  the  bill,  but  just  there  my  consti- 
tutional trustfulness  was  my  undoing.  His  words  were 
so  full  of  promise  that  the  brooms  continued  to  be 
deposited,  although  he  failed  in  almost  every  partic- 
ular. At  the  end  of  the  navigation  season,  when 
my  chances  were  apparently  played  out  for  that 
year,  he  had  on  hand  six  hundred  dozen  brooms 
upon  which  only  three  hundred  dollars  had  been  ad- 
vanced, and  the  term  was  long  gone  by  when,  under 
his  agreement,  every  broom  should  have  been  paid  for, 
less  the  commission,  at  market  rates*  I had  reduced 


188 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


my  trouble  ana  responsibility  only  to  increase  both 
beyond  measure,  but  somehow  I would  not  despair 
of  a favorable  outcome.  There  were  many  small 
towns  within  easy  reach,  in  which  sales  could  be 
effected  by  personal  effort,  and  I was  off  on  the  road 
once  more  attending  to  my  own  business,  as  soon 
as  I could  arrange  with  Mr.  Weaver  to  free  me 
from  the  proviso  that  he  should  handle  all  my  goods. 
There  was  warmth  and  sunshine  in  the  thought 
that  I was  once  more  my  own  master  and  own 
man,  although  the  weather  was  cold  enough  to  re- 
mind me  of  the  freezing  sleigh-ride  between  the 
Institution  and  Oakland  at  the  time  of  my  sister’s 
funeral;  and  a number  of  small  transactions  enabled 
me  to  touch  ready  cash  once  more,  enough  for  all 
needs  except  the  repayment  of  Mr.  Weaver’s  advance. 
While  buying  and  selling  that  winter,  I was  as- 
sured, by  many  travelers  with  whom  I came  in 
friendly  contact,  that  I could  readily  sell  out  all  my 
stock  in  New  York,  on  terms  that  would  leave  a 
liberal  margin.  So  I hurried  back  to  La  Crosse, 
saw  Mr.  Weaver  as  to  the  likelihood  of  my  enter- 
prise succeeding,  and  in  a few  days  afterwards  was 
in  New  York,  ready  to  close  out  all  my  surplus 
stock,  including  the  brooms  in  Mr.  Weaver’s  hands 
subject  to  his  claim  of  three  hundred  dollars.  The 
foreman  of  the  workshop  in  the  New  York  Institu- 
tion - for  the  blind  gave  me  letters  of  introduction  to 
merchants  who  could  take  all  my  brooms,  then  and 
thereafter,  with  m itual  advantage;  and  within  a few 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


189 


hours  I had  sold  all  that  there  was  to  dispose  of 
at  really  excellent  prices,  the  firm  to  pay  freight, 
one  hundred  dollars  per  car  load,  and  three  dollars 
per  dozen  to  me.  I was  overjoyed  with  my  suc- 
cess. My  misfortunes  had  forced  me  out  into  a 
broader  market,  in  which  my  beaver-like  industry 
would  have  full  scope,  and  the  few  debts  which  had 
been  crowding  me  would  be  but  as  rain-drops  in  a 
river.  I was  in  La  Crosse  just  as  rapidly  as  the 
^cars  could  bear  a merchant  of  so  much  importance, 
and  my  shipments  were  made  without  delay,  cars 
were  chartered  at  the  agreed  price,  one  hundred 
dollars  per  load,  and  I went  in  to  obtain  my  bills 
of  lading  from  Captain  Moulton,  the  freight  agent, 
a gentleman  from  whom  I had  received  many  kind- 
nesses. Unfortunately  that  was  one  of  his  busiest 
days,  and,  instead  of  concluding  the  affair  at  once,  the 
Captain  asked  me  to  come  in  again  for  the  bills  of  lad- 
ing the  next  day,  or  anytime;  they  should  be  made 
ready  as  soon  as  the  rush  was  over.  A better  man- 
ager under  such  conditions  would  have  stuck  right 
\ there  and  seen  the  transaction  completed,  but  I saw 
no  reason  to  hurry;  next  day  or  the  next  afterwards 
would  answer  all  purposes,  as  the  shipment  was 
really  dispatched.  Just  as  I was  leaving  the  depot, 
news  reached  me  of  a considerable  sum  due  to  me  in 
-one  of  the  outlying  towns  being  in  danger  unless 
it  was  looked  after  at  once.  My  losses  had  been 
heavy  enough  to  make  me  vigilant,  and  I started 
within  the  hour.  Engrossed  with  my  collections  and 


190 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


looking  after  new  business,  thirty  days  had  elapsed 
before  I landed  again  in  La  Crosse,  and  then  to 
my  surprise  I found  that  the  brooms,  instead  of  be- 
ing billed  at  per  car  load,  were  billed  at  per  dozen, 
making  a difference  of  two  hundred  dollars  per  car 
load.  The  merchant  in  New  York  refused  to  take 
delivery  paying  such  charges,  and  my  prospects  in 
that  direction  were  petering  out  completely.  The 
railroad  companies  could  not  be  induced  to  admit 
that  any  mistake  had  been  made  on  their  part, 
although  ultimately  one  of  the  companies  gave  me 
one  hundred  dollars  off  my  loss,  and  a commission 
merchant  in  New  York,  in  whose  hands  the  busi- 
ness was  put  for  settlement,  let  them  out  of  the 
difficulty  by  paying  all  the  freight  demanded.  My 
troubles  came  upon  me  like  a cyclone  suddenly 
streaming  through  a sky  until  that  moment  all  but 
cloudless.  Expenses,  commissions,  interest,  advertising, 
and  sales  by  auction  at  last,  left  me  only  about 
three  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  to  my  credit, 
in  the  hands  of  the  New  York  agent;  and  Mr. 
Weaver,^  going  to  that  city  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
own  business,  volunteered  as  my  friend  to  collect 
that  amount  subject  to  his  little  deduction  of  three 
hundred  dollars  for  advances.  The  money  was  duly 
paid  to  my  very  dear  friend,  my  altogether  too  dear 
friend,  my  atrociously  expensive  friend,  Mr.  Weaver, 
who  charged  me  the  whole  of  my  seventy-five  dol- 
lars for  the  trouble  of  collecting  his  three  hundred 
dollars,  and  so  ended  my  interest  in  the  brooms. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


191 


That  Weaver  spoiled  the  web  of  my  life,  warp 
and  woof,  for  some  years;  but  I suppose  that  in 
the  end  his  injustice  and  incapacity  injured  himself 
more  than  me,  and  for  my  poor  part  I try  to  for- 
give him,  notwithstanding  all  that  I suffered  at  his 
hands.  The  explanation  offered  in  these  few  lines 
as  to  the  causes  of  my  embarrassment  in  La  Crosse, 
could  not  set  me  right  with  my  friends,  unless  the 
round,  unvarnished  tale  was  fairly  unfolded.  I have 
not  excused  myself  at  the  expense  of  any  person, 
friend  or  foe;  no  man  living  can  see  the  faults  in  my 
career  more  readily  than  myself;  but  unfortunately 
my  ready  wit  comes  after  the  event.  I have  noth- 
ing extenuated,  nor  set  down  aught  in  malice,  and 
unfortunately,  after  all  my  years  of  prevision,  I had 
involved  another  for  whom  I cared  a thousand  times 
more  than  for  myself  in  the  load  of  disaster  which 
from  that  time  onward  had  to  be  carried. 

After  my  arrangements  had  been  made  in  New 
York,  and  my  shipments  had  been  actually  made, 
opening  up  a business  which  seemed  certain  to  prove 
enduring  and  profitable,  so  that  whether  the  river  was 
frozen  over  or  not  I could  find  an  outlet  for  annu- 
ally increasing  supplies,  there  was  no  apparent  reason 
for  my  continuing  the  life  — the  very  unsatisfactory 
life  — of  an  unmarried  man.  Consultations  with  emi- 
nent medical  men  had  satisfied  me  that  inasmuch  as 
my  blindness  was  not  a congenital  defect,  there  was 
no  good  ground  for  fearing  that  my  children  would 
inherit  my  calamity;  and  that  reasonable  conclusion 


192 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


has  been  borne  out  by  the  fact.  I daily,  aye,  I may 
say  hourly,  return  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  the 
blessings  of  sight  which  my  darlings  enjoy.  The 
gloom  of  misfortune  would  be,  I fear,  insupportable 
if  my  marriage  had  been  the  cause  of  their  enter- 
ing upon  lives  of  darkness. 

My  beloved  partner,  who  has  never  uttered  one 
word  of  repining  during  our  years  of  toil,  sometimes 
on  the  verge  of  want,  was  fully  aware  of  all  my  rea- 
sons for  hope,  as  she  had  long  been  my  most  trusted 
counsellor,  and  she  agreed  with  me  that  the  time  was 
opportune  for  our  long  contemplated  union.  I have 
heard  of  a laggard  lover  in  his  seventeenth  year  of 
sparking,  who  was  urged  to  greater  speed  by  his 
ladye-love  gently  saying,  “I  could  be  content,  John, 
with  your  company  in  a garret,  though  we  lived 

upon  bread  and  water;”  but  I am  at  a loss  to  know 

of  what  mettle  John  was  compounded  when  he  could 
say,  “Well,  my  dear,  if  you  can  manage  the  bread  and 
the  garret,  I think  I might  scratch  round  and  find 
the  water.  ” The^  dream  of  my  life  was  a home  for 
my  wife  and  little  ones,  in  which,  poverty  in  mind, 

body  and  estate  should  be  alike  unknown;  where 

friends  might  ever  find  a welcome,  and  where  intel- 
lect, irradiated  by  the  xnoral  tone  which  religion  alone 
can  assure,  should  reign  supreme;  and  if  some  of  my 
brightest  hopes  have  been  dimmed  by  suffering,  we 
have  still  never  experienced  the  cold  and  darkness 
which  prevail  in  those  households  where  love  has 
ceased  to  rule. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


193 


The  family  into  which  it  was  my  good  fortune  to 
marry  had  seen  many  vicissitudes  within  a compara- 
tively few  years.  Mr.  Boyer  was  one  of  the  most 
extensive  dry  goods  merchants  in  Christiania,  Nor- 
way, and,  until  the  very  evening  of  his  life,  had  met 
with  no  reverses.  Socially  his  position  was  all  that 
could  be  desired,  and  his  capital  sufficed  for  all  the 
demands  of  his  business,  while  his  income  was  so 
liberal  as  to  permit  the  indulgence  of  his  generous 
impulses  whenever  the  relief  of  indigence  or  the  pat- 
ronage of  art  challenged  the  exercise  of  his  means. 
Among  the  various  brotherhoods  which  in  Norway, 
as  well  as  elsewhere  within  the  range  of  civilization, 
come  in  as  co-operating  bodies  in  works  of  benevo- 
lence, co-ordinate  even  with  the  churches,  Mr.  Boyer 
had  filled  all  the  chairs  in  succession  in  Lodgr, 
Chapter  and  Grand  Lodge,  so  that  it  goes  without 
saying,  or,  sans  phrase , as  the  French  have  it,  that 
he  was  a worthy  member  of  society,  always  ready 
to  respond  when  called  upon  to  fulfill  the  points  of 
fellowship.  Many  men  struggling  against  adversity 
found  in  his  well  timed  and  wisely  given  aid  the 
means  by  which  they  rose  to  fortune,  and  th.»  lux- 
ury of  doing  good  was  the  only  recompense  that  the 
good  old  man  desired.  In  the  crisis  of  1857,  which 
struck  Norway  very  heavily,  his  means  were  severely 
taxed  by  his  endeavors  to  sustain  deserving  men 
whom  he  had  previously  assisted,  and  a succession 
of  heavy  failures  among  his  agents  and  business 
connections  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  meet  his 


194 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


engagements.  There  are  thousands  of  smart  men  in 
this  country  who  would  have  gone  through  his  or- 
deal, going  through  their  creditors  at  the  same  time, 
without  moulting  a feather;  but  the  old  man,  punc- 
tilious as  to  the  value  of  an  unsullied  name,  could 
not  endure  the  humiliation  of  even  a partial  failure 
and  remain  in  the  city,  where  every  incident  re- 
minded him  of  his  changed  conditions,,  He  seques- 
trated his  estate,  and  handed  it  over  to  assignees  for 
realization  in  the  interest  of  his  creditors,  and,  refus- 
ing every  proffer  of  assistance,  set  sail  for  Australia, 
where  he  did  not  doubt  that  he  should  be  able  to 
rebuild  his  shattered  fortunes.  His  wife,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  remained  in  Christiania,  hoping 
against  hope,  month  after  month,  and  then  year  after 
year,  that,  on  the  gold  fields  in  the  British  colony  of 
Victoria,  he  would  find  a succedanceum  for  his  ma- 
terial losses.  He  was  heard  from  as  a gold-digger 
on  Ballarat,  one  of  the  greatest  gold-fields  in  the 
world,  where  men  all  but  starving,  faint  with  hun- 
ger, and  unable  to  procure  another  meal  by  cash  or 
credit,  had  driven  the  ill-aimed  pick  into  a “ nugget  ” 
of  gold  too  heavy  for  one  man  to  lift,  and  there 
was,  of  course,  a possibility  that  some  such  fate  was 
in  store  for  him.  Hope  deferred,  which  maketh  the 
heart  sick,  told  upon  him,  and  his  letters,  more  rare 
than  ever  in  the  atmosphere  of  misfortune,  came 
freighted  with  bad  news.  He  was  sick  in  the  lonely 
hut  which  he  had  erected  near  the  Buninyong  road, 
and  strangers  — rude,  rough  miners,  none  too  prosper- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


195 


ous  themselves — were  ministering  to  him.  Months 
passed  before  other  letters  were  received,  and  then 
it  appeared  that  he  had  recovered  from  the  disease, 
thanks  to  the  bracing  airs  of  Mount  Buninyong,  but 
that  his  strength  was  steadily  failing.  His  son  Fred- 
erick, who  had  embraced  a seafaring  life  as  a means 
of  helping  his  mother  and  sisters,  determined  now 
to  follow  him  to  Australia,  but  it  was  not  easy  to 
ship  for  Melbourne. 

A vessel  bound  for  India  was  first  obtained,  and 
from  Calcutta  he  shipped  for  Melbourne  by  way  of 
China.  At  the  port  of  Amoy  it  became  known 
that  the  trading  vessel  Amazon  was  but  half  manned 
and  practically  unarmed,  a few  boarding  pikes,  pistols 
and  cutlasses  being  the  entire  armament,  and  the 
Island  of  Amoy,  although  taken  by  the  British  in 
1841,  and  two  years  later  thrown  open  to  the  trade 
of  all  the  world,  was  the  resort  of  as  cruel  a set  of 
pirates  as  ever  disgraced  Algiers.  Soon  after  quit- 
ting the  port  of  Amoy,  the  Amazon  was  attacked 
by  a little  fleet  of  piratical  junks,  and  although  the 
brave  skipper  was  backed  by  the  desperate  courage 
of  his  crew,  every  man  of  whom  was  equal  in  fight- 
ing capacity  to  three  of  his  almond-eyed  assailants, 
the  paucity  of  numbers  and  arms  on  the  side  of  the 
British  made  their  defeat  unavoidable.  The  ship  was 
captured,  the  valuable  parts  of  the  cargo  transferred 
to  the  robber  iunks,  and  the  vessel  scuttled  so  that 
she  sank  out  at  sea  and  was  supposed  to  have  found- 
ered in  a storm.  Fred,  was  stunned  by  a blow  on 


196 


OUT  FROM  THlf  DARKNESS. 


the  head  from  some  weapon  or  missile  Wune  the 
fight  was  hottest,  and  remained  insensible  for  many 
days,  apparently,  as  when  he  recovered  consciousness 
there  were  no]  traces  of  the  conflict  which  had  raged 
so  fiercely,  and  the  pirates  were  many  miles  from 
the  coast,  with  a number  of  like  craft  within  hailing 
distance,  lying  in  wait  for  unarmed  merchantmen. 
The  fates  of  the  remainder  of  the  officers  and  crew 
long  remained  matter  for  conjecture;  but  from  many 
hints  and  half  sentences  in  “ Pigeon  English,”  or  r 
business  English,  such  as  is  used  in  Chinese  ports,  which 
the  poor  boy  could  speculate  upon  rather  than  under- 
stand, it  became  evident  at  last  that  .every  man 
speaking  English  on  board  the  vessel  had  been  killed. 
Fred,  could  never  understand  exactly  why  his  life 
had  been  spared,  and  proceeding  on  the  maxim, 

“ Let  sleeping  dogs  lie,”  he  did  not  ask  questions, 
which  might  have  renewed  dangerous  debates  of 
policy.  The  Bucephalus,  hailing  from  Boston,  United 
States,  was  attacked  by  the  fleet  of  Junks  during 
the  boy’s  captivity,  and  he  was  compelled  to  take 
his  trick  at  the  wheel  during  the  attack,  as  the  pirates 
would  not  trust  him  with  arms,  perhaps  fearing  that 
he  would  fight  on  the  side  of  the  defenders;  but 
the  Yankees  had  guns  that  were  not  Quakers,  and 
their  assailants  soughc  safety  in  flight.  Fred,  would 
have  given  one  of  his  arms  to  have  been  able  to 
ask  the  protection  of  the  stars  and  stripes,  but  his 
deliverance  came  in  another  way.  A great  storm 
arose,  a kind  of  fierce  simoon,  and  the  unsailor-like 


OUT  FROM  •THE  DARKNESS. 


19? 


conduct  of  the  Chinamen  gave  the  junk  no  chance 
to  weather  it  out.  The  latteen  sails,  poorly  reefed, 
would  not  blow  out  of  their  bolt  ropes  as  canvas 
might  have  done,  the  mainmast  went  by  the  board, 
ind  the  vessel,  on  her  beam  ends,  seemed  certain 
i > go  down  at  sea,  when,  to  the  surprise  of  all  hands 
sho  struck  on  sunken  rocks,  and  soon  after  went  down 
within  half  a mile  of  high  and  inhospitable-looking 
cliffs.  When  the  fog  cleared  away  there  were  no 
Chinamen  visible,  and  the  after  pale  of  the  ship 
was  under  water,  her  back  having  been  broken  on 
the  reefs.  One  day  and  night  the  boy  clung  to  his 
slippery  holdfast  on  the  bowsprit  of  the  junk,  and 
then  he  was  taken  off  by  a trader  bound  for  Foo 
Chow,  which  had  been  driven  out  of  her  course  by 
the  destructive  simoon  and  detained  for  some  time 
in  the  shelter  of  a well  wooded,  sparsely  inhabited 
island,  repairing  damages.  At  Foo  Chow  he  found 
that  the  great  tea  shipping  firm  of  Russell  & Co. 
was  about  to  send  a cargo  of  tea  to  Melbourne 
Australia,  and  as  a special  favor  he  was  allowed  to 
work  his  passage  as  assistant  to  the  supercargo,  an 
American  of  the  very  highest  character  and  con- 
nections, from  Batavia,  New  York.  While  waiting 
at  Foo  Chow,  an  opportunity  occurred  to  communi- 
cate with  Amoy,  and  from  that  port  letters  from 
Norway,  which  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events 
would  have  been  lost,  were  obtained,  informing 
Fred,  of  the  death  of  his  mother.  His  sisters  wrote 
that  she  had  died  of  a broken  heart.  His  eldei 


J98 


OUT  FROM  THl£  DARKNESS. 


brother,  assistant  to  the  chief  of  a bureau  in  the. 
Department  of  the  Interior,  wrote  that  her  death 
had  been  hastened  by  grief.  There  were  no  further 
noticeable  incidents  before  his  arrival  in  the  great 
gold-mining  colony  of  Victoria,  as  the  vessels  char- 
tered by  Russell  & Co.  were  too  formidable  to  be 
attacked  by  junks.  Many  of  the  pirates  were  seen, 
but  they  were  harmless  river  craft  and  coasters,  en- 
gaged in  reputable  traffic  in  the  presence  of  superior 
me*;al,  so  that  there  was  no  chance  to  sink  them 
as  a punishment  for  the  past  and  a preventive  for 
the  future.  A few  ships,  apparently  unarmed,  but 
really  carrying  heavy  guns  and  small  arms,  with  men 
enough  to  work  them,  might  save  thousands  of  val- 
uable lives  every  year,  and  millions  of  dollars  worth 
of  cargo,  by  enticing  the  pirate  junks  in  the  China 
seas  to  reveal  their  true  character,  and  then  slav- 
ing or  capturing  the  crews  in  flagrante  delictn.  A 
few  such  lessons  would  teach  the  pig-eyed  Mongo- 
lian water-thieves  that  honesty  is  the  best  policy, 
and  that  truth  is  not  readily  grasped  by  “ the 
heathen  Chinee”  in  his  dealings,  either  in  war  or 
peace,  with  the  Caucasian  race.  British,  French  and 
American  cannon  have  effected  much  more  than 
diplomacy  could  have  even  attempted  in  moderating 
the  contempt  M hich  the  celestials  formerly  enter- 
tained for  Western  civilization,  as  elaborated  by  the 
“ one-eyed  barbarians.”  F red.,  who  has  become  a 
citizen  of  the  greatest  republic  the  world  ever  saw, 
and  who  ha&  very  good  grounds  for  approving  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  199 

Burlingame  treaty,  is  as  resolute  as  Dennis  Kearney 
himself,  enthroned  on  the  sand  lots,  in  declaring  that 
“ the  Chinese  must  go.”  Their  habits,  their  food, 
their  morals,  their  debasing  practices,  in  a thousand 
ways  warn  us  that  the  civilization  of  the  West, 
advanced  to  the  sea  line  of  the  Pacific  coast,  must 
at  that  point  neet,  conquer,  and  if  necessary  erase  the 
inferior  but  persistent  and  dangerous  hordes  which 
threaten  us  with  peaceful  invasion,  and  conquest,  by 
ballot,  from  the  empire  of  the  brother  of  the  sun 
and  moon.  Out  of  the  five  hundred  million  of 
Chinamen,  Tatars  and  their  congeners  within  the 
lines  of  the  great  wall,  always  crowding  beyond 
the  limits  of  subsistence,  although  infanticide  is  not 
unlawful,  it  would  require  but  an  order  from  the 
autocrat  at  Pekin  to  send  enough  of  his  subjects 
into  this  country  to  starve  out  American  and  European 
industry  and  skill,  send  mandarins  into  Congress, 
make  the  worship  of  Joss  the  established  religion, 
compel  the  substitution  of  the  Chinese  alphabet  for 
our  own,  and  change  our  laws,  customs  and  institu- 
tions, to  make  them  compatible  with  birds’-nest  soup, 
pigtails  in  wonderful  degrees  of  exaggeration,  and 
the  reduction  of  the  feet  of  women  to  infantine 
proportions.  The  picture  is  overdrawn,  beyond  a 
question;  but  the  possibility  is  real,  and  it  is  unstates- 
man-like to  sit  down  with  Belshazzar  at  the  feast, 
oblivious  of  the  writing  on  the  wall,  until  the  enemy 
shall  come  upon  us  in  overpowering  numbers.  The 
scaling  ladders  of  Celestial  Panjandrums,  with  little 


200 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


round  buttons  on  the  top,  may  be  planted  in  our 
primaries  with  more  dangerous  consequences  to  lib- 
erty, enterprise  and  civilization,  than  if  they  were 
directed  against  our  fortifications,  backed  by  Krupp 
guns  with  the  latest  improvements  for  breaching. 
The  world-wide  liberality  which  distinguishes  our 
constitution  and  our  customs  is  our  danger  in  such 
contingencies,  and  perhaps  Fred,  is  right  after  all. 

Arrived  in  Melbourne,  he  was  astonished  to  find  a 
city  of  metropolitan  proportions,  where  he  had  expected 
to  see  a primitive  settlement,  dependent  on  sheep- 
farming and  gold-digging,  with  perhaps  a little  kan- 
garoo-hunting and  fishing  thrown  in  to  make  weight. 
Melbourne  now  has  a population  of  more  than  two 
hundred  thousand  souls,  and  the  prosperity  of  the 
colony  is  exceptional.  Criminals  expatriated  from 
England  formed  the  rough  ashlar  course  of  several  of 
the  Australian  colonies  of  Great  Britain,  but  Victoria 
steadfastly  refused  to  be  made  a convict  settlement, 
so  that  when  the  better  class  of  Englishmen  sought 
places  of  resort  for  themselves  and  families,  away 
from  the  grinding  competition  of  the  older  countries, 
yet  under  the  British  flag,  the  colony  of  Victoria, 
with  Melbourne  as  its  capital,  offered  advantages 
which  could  hardly  be  excelled,  coupled  with  a 
delightful  climate.  There  came  a time  in  the  history 
of  Victoria  when  all  the  influence  of  the  mother 
country  was  exerted  to  change  the  policy  of  the 
colonies  so  that  the  criminal  classes,  dangerous  to 
England,  might  be  transported  there,  and  the  attempt 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


201 


proved  a failure,  much  to  the  credit  of  the  people. 
Gold  was  discovered  in  paying  quantities  in  Bunin- 
yong,  near  Ballarat  — then  a sheep  station  or  squat- 
ter’s run  — near  the  end  of  1851,  and  all  kinds  of 
labor,  skilled  or  not,  was  immediately  appreciated 
almost  ten  to  one.  The  roads  to  the  several  dig- 
gings, varying  on  different  routes,  were  from  sixty 
to  one  hundred  miles  of  dust,  at  all  depths  in  sum- 
mer, and  almost  impassable  quagmire  every  winter. 
This  state  of  things  could  not  be  readily  improved, 
because  free  labor  could  hardly  be  induced  to  work 
at  road-making  for  high  wages,  when  every  man  that 
passed  along  the  route,  “ humping  his  swag  ” to  the 
mines,  could  tell  some  wonderful  story  about  a fortu- 
nate digger  who  started  with  barely  enough  money 
to  buy  a pick,  and  had  returned  after  only  a few 
weeks’  absence,  with  enough  gold  to  make  him  a 
millionaire.  The  least  sanguine  of  the  road- makers 
was  apt  to  see  analogies  in  such  narratives  closelv 
answering  to  his  own  case;  and  on  the  strength  of 
his  having  just  money  enough  to  purchase  his  outfit, 
he  would  try  his  luck  as  soon  as  he  could  draw  his 
pay.  In  the  year  1854  there  were  wagons  on  the. 
road  to  the  diggings,  which  had  been  bogged  and 
dug  out  again  so  many  times  that  more  than  three 
weeks  had  been  consumed  in  traveling  with  half  a 
ton  of  merchandise  in  each  load,  less  than  a hundred 
miles.  The  English  government  sent  out  a ship 
load  of  convicted  criminals,  five  hundred  in  all,  on 
board  the  J ohn  Hashemy,  to  be  employed  in  making 


202 


r?UT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


and  mending  roads,  or  on  any  other  work  that  the 
colonists  saw  fit  to  direct,  free  of  cost,  beyond 
housing,  feeding  and  guarding  the  prisoners  until 
their  respective  sentences  had  expired;  and  a similar 
load  of  cheap  labor,  male  and  female,  would  be 
transmitted  to  the  colcny,  in  never-ending  suc- 
cession, every  month.  It  was  known  that  the  con- 
vict settlement  in  Van  Dieman’s  Land  had  made 
metaled  roads  from  one  side  of  the  island  to  the  other, 
in  all  directions,  and  had  constructed  other  public 
works,  without  taxing  the  free  colonists  one  cent, 
is  the  British  government  actually  paid  the  salaries 
and  wages  of  the  w*arder^  and  other  officers  neces* 
sary  to  the  safe  custody  of  the  convicts;  and  moreover  v 
many  of  the  settlers  had  grown  wealthy  by  employing 
convicts  as  assigned  servants  without  wages,  on  their 
farms  and  in  their  houses.  With  such  marked  results 
observable  within  easy  reach,  it  must  have  seemed  to 
the  government  of  England  impossible  to  doubt 
that  the  Melbourne  people  would  jump  mast-high 
to  secure  a continuous  supply  of  slave  labor,  the 
color-line  being  convictism.  The  three  daily  papers 
the  Argus , Age,  and  Berak  , contained  one  .morn- 
ing the  announcement  of  die  ship’s  arrival  in  Hob- 
son’s Bay,  the  harbor,  roadstead  and  anchorage  of 
Melbourne,  and  the  same  sheets  invited  the  people 
to  suspend  their  business  by  common  consent  thf.t 
day,  so  that  a meeting  ®f  all  the  citizens  might  be 
neld  at  noon,  after  fullest  deliberation,  to  consider  the 
proposed  deluge  of  criminality.  A committee,  hastily 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


203 


convened,  distributed  through  all  the  offices,  ware- 
houses, banks,  stores  and  shops,  placards  saying  that 
all  hands  in  each  establishment  had  gone  to  the  anti- 
convict meeting;  and  when  the  time  arrived  to  call 
the  assemblage  to  order,  there  were  not  less  than  fifty 
thousand  men  on  the  ground,  breathing  the  whole- 
some sentiment  that  England  should  not  send  hei 

criminal  classes  there  to  poison  the  young  colony 
almost  in  its  inception. 

The  talk  that  day  from  the  rostrum  as  hastily 
constructed  as  a Parisian  barricade,  was  wonderfully 
to  the  purpose;  the  convicts  were  not  allowed  to 
land,  and  England  never  sent  another  ship-load  to 
the  colony.  That  incident  serves  to  illustrate  the 
kind  of  community  in  which  Fred,  found  himself 

when  he  landed  in  Melbourne.  Rebellion  against 
wrong,  and,  if  necessary,  revolution,  were  cherished 
as  sacred  and  inalienable  rights,  to  be  used  only  in 
the  last  extremity;  but  lynch  law,  too  often  the 

shame  of  this  country,  was  not  known  in  Victoria. 
Ballarat  was  the  objective  point,  to  reach  which 
Fred,  had  traveled  over  thirty  thousand  miles,  and 
he  found  his  father  altered  in  almost  every  particular 
except  as  to  the  gentleness  and  manly  integrity  of 
nis  bearing.  With  some  circumlocution  the  boy  was 
about  to  tell  his  father  that  his  mother  was  dead, 
but  the  old  man  anticipated  his  purpose,  saying  on 
such  a day  u she  appeared  to  me  to  say  that  she 
had  gone  before  me,  and  laid  her  hand  upon  my 

head  • the  spot  she  touched  has  been  white  &s  her 


2CM  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

own.  robe  from  that  moment.”  Sure  enough  there 
were  the  marks  indicated,  but  whence  came  the 
coincidence  no  man  can  say.  The  date  given  by 
him  corresponded  exactly  with  that  in  the  letter  which 
he  had  never  seen,  and  the  contents  of  which  were 
never  communicated  until  much  later.  The  old  man 
toiled  unceasingly  m his  laborious  calling  as  a miner, 
and  his  son  did  all  in  his  power  to  assist  the  en- 
terprise with  money  earned  in  other  employments, 
and  with  the  labor  of  his  own  hands  when  other  work 
happened  to  be  scaice;  but  the  fact  is,  that  putting 
aside  exceptional  instances  in  which  individuals  have 
become  suddenly  rich,  gold-mining  is  a wasteful 
industry.  An  ounce  of  gold  is  worth  about  twenty 
dollars,  putting  fractions  out  of  our  reckoning,  and 
every  ounce  of  gold  put  upon  the  market  by  gold 
diggers,  from  the  first  outbreak  of  the  gold  fever 
in  Sacramento  Valley,  California,  has  cost,  in  the 
labor  and  capital  necessary  to  produce  it,  very  nearly 
twenty-seven  dollars.  The  pursuit  is  like  gambling 
in  some  respects,  or  like  book-writing:  the  people 
who  enter  upon  it  seem  to  be  bewitched,  and  con 
tinue  to  the  bitter  end  in  nine  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  cases  out  of  a thousand;  but  the  thousandth 
man  coming  out  ahead  with  a little  fortune,  is  talked 
Oi  fo  the  exclusion  of  the  whole  army  of  failures, 
so  that  his  success  serves  like  a wrecker’s  light 
upon  a rockbound  coast  to  draw  thousands  to  de- 
struction. The  fortunate  man  made  his  pile  perhaps 
6n  a small  outlay  of  money  or  labor,  bu.1:  in  esti- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


205 


mating  the  cost  of  gold  to  the  community  we  must 
place  to  the  debit  all  the  labor  and  capital  expended 
in  the  search,  and  to  the  credit  the  net  results  of 
every  find.  Careful  analysis  carried  through  by  com- 
petent statists  in  California  and  Australasia  show  a 
wonderful  uniformity  of  figures  illustrating  the  waste- 
fulness of  mining  in  both  hemispheres. 

The  ignis  fatuus  hope,  without  which  life  is 
unendurable,  lured  both  father  and  son  for  four  years 
^ longer,  and  then  one  day  the  old  man  failed  to  respond 
to  the  son’s  morning  salutation.  There  was  a smile 
upon  his  lips  which  seemed  to  light  up  the  whole 
face  even  in  death,  and  it  might  be  imagined  that 

as  he  passed  away  the  beckoning  finger  of  one  who 

had  joined  the  angelic  host  called  him  to  that  bet- 
ter home  of  the  soul,  where  God  our  Father  wipes 
away  all  tears,  and  sorrows  are  unknown.  He  had 
never  known  actual  want,  and  his  character  draping 
him  in  dignity,  which  asserts  its  power  through 
homespun  as  surely  as  through  rich  apparel,  had 

won  him  recognitions,  honors  and  attentions  for 
which  many  of  his  rich  neighbors  would  have  paid 
highly,  “ The  light  that  never  was  on  sea  or 
land”  shone  upon  him  at  the  last,  and  when  his 
bones  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  little  churchyard, 
there  was  a noble  concourse  of  men  and  women 

who  had  recognized  the  righteousness  of  his  life, 
and  to  whom  it  was  indeed  a sacrament  to  see  him 
laid  in  the  earth  in  the  sure  and  certain  hope  of 
a glorious  resurrection.  Sir  William  Jones  has  trans- 


206  OUT  FROM  the  darkness. 

lated  from  the  Persian  a very  beautiful  verse  which 
always  occurs  to  my  mind  whenever  I think  of  that 
old  man’s  death,  so  far  from  his  kindred  and  his 
old-time  friends,  yet  so  near  to  the  hearts  of  the 
discriminating  few  to  whom  rank  is  but  the  guinea 
stamp.  The  thought  of  the  Persian  poet  runs  in 
this  wise,  and  the  lesson  may  be  good  for  us  all: 

“On  parent  knees  a naked,  new-born  child, 

Weeping  thou  sat’st  when  all  around  thee  smiled; 

So  live  that,  sinking  in  thy  last  long  sleep, 

Calm  thou  may’st  smile  when  all  around  thee  weep.” 

The  gold  fields  of  Ballarat  had  no  longer  any  at- 
traction for  Fred.  Boyer  beyond  the  limits  of  God’s 
Acre,  where  the  bones  of  his  father  had  consecrated 
the  earth,  so  he  turned  toward  that  home  in  Nor- 
way, where  loved  and  loving  ones  awaited  his  re- 
turn, and  where  the  account  of  his  stewardship  must 
needs  inflict  pain,  although  it  might  be  that  sorrow 
such  as  he  was  bearing  into  their  lives  could  not 
fail  to  sanctify  and  elevate  the  moral  nature.  The 
colony  of  Victoria  was  not  less  lovely  than  when 
he  first  saw  it.  Melbourne  was  certainly  grow- 
ing in  wealth  and  beauty  every  year;  its  university, 
its  public  library,  its  parliament  houses,  town  hall, 
postoffice,  churches,  theaters,  and  other  public  build- 
ings, decked  the  city  with  a splendor  to  which  the 
bright  and  warm,  yet  bracing  air,  added  new  beauty; 
and  the  club-houses,  places  of  business  and  private 
residences  kept  pace  with  the  increasing  importance 
of  a city  destined,  at  no  distant  day,  to  become  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


207 


capital  of  Australasia.  Still,  Melbourne,  like  all  else, 
seemed  changed  to  him  — had  a message  in  every 
feature  to  hurry  him  away.  There  is  a sadness 
about  every  accomplished  duty  which  warns  us  of 
the  end,  and  from  every  scene  in  life,  even  the  most 
joyous,  wells  up  a tiny  rivulet  of  sorrow  such  as 
was  hinted  at  by  Longfellow  in  the  line : “ I fear  to 

think  how  glad  I am.”  There  was  yet  another  rea- 
son why  the  young  man  fondly  dreamed  of  the 
Fjords  of  Norway.  He  could  attach  a peculiar  and 
personal  meaning  to  the  poet’s  words : 

“ ’Tis  sVeet  to  know  there  is  an  eye  doth  mark  our  coming, 

And  look  brighter  when  we  come.77 

The  busy  city  could  have  found  him  profitable 
employment,  for  as  an  artist  he  wielded  a pencil 
which  few  could  excel;  but  he  waited  no  longer  than 
was  necessary  to  find  a ship  that  would  take  him 
home  again  to  his  family  and  friends  with  a mini- 
mum of  delay.  A ship  bound  to  Christiania  was  out 
of  the  question,  but  there  were  prospects  of  a pas- 
sage to  Copenhagen,  upon  which  he  spent  some 
days.  Eventually  he  was  glad  to  take  ship  for  Ham- 
burg, and  so  reached  his  desired  haven  by  a course 
a little  more  circuitous.  The  joy  to  which  he  had 
looked  forward  in  his  day  dreams  as  to  that  welcome 
home  extended,  in  some  degree,  even  to  the  dear 
soil  of  his  fatherland;  but  in  the  moment  of  reali- 
zation, when  the  dimmed,  cloud-like  outline  began  to 
unfold  its  beauties  to  the  eager  eyes  of  the  young 
man,  so  long  a stranger  in  strange  lands,  it  seemed 


208  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

as  though  a sorrow’s  crown  of  sorrow  in  remember- 
ing happier  things  would  rob  his  return  of  all  the 
enchantment  which  imagination  had  decked  it  withal. 
Tennyson,  who  contests  with  our  own  Longfellow 
the  supreme  faculty  for  reading  the  heart  of  human- 
ity, says,  in  his  exquisite  poem,  “ The  Princess:” 

“Tears,  idle  tears,  I know  not  what  they  mean; 

Tears  from  the  depth  of  some  divine  despair 
Rise  in  the  heart,  and  gather  to  the  eyes, 

In  looking  on  the  happy  autumn  fields, 

And  thinking  of  the  days  that  are  no  more.” 

Suddenly  as  the  hand  of  death  had  fallen  on 
their  father,  the  little  group  in  Christiana  were  not 
unprepared  for  the  melancholy  tidings.  There  is  a 
prescience  in  some  families  which  outruns  the  course 
of  post,  and  can  divine  the  message  which  has  never 
been  shaped  in  words.  Every  lineament  of  that  well 
remembered  face  was  dear  to  them  all — dear  as  re- 
membered kisses  after  death;  but  they  did  not  sor- 
row as  those  without  hope.  There  was  for  them  a 
sweet  augury  in  the  smile  with  which  he  turned  his 
face  toward  the  better  shore.  In  their  orphaned 
condition  the  brothers  and  sisters  had  remained  to- 
gether, aided,  in  no  small  degree,  by  the  brother- 
hoods and  associations  to  the  prosperity  of  which  their 
father  had  largely  contributed,  and,  when  unmerited 
misfortune  fell  upon  them  all,  the  Masonic  fraternity 
would  have  provided  for  all  the  family.  The  aid 
which  the  father  declined  for  his  own  sake  was,  in 
his  absence,  rained  down  upon  his  children  and  their 
mother  until  death  removed  her  from  the  scene. 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


209 


The  death  of  Mrs.  Boyer  was  precipitated,  if  not 
caused,  by  disquietude  on  account  of  the  long  con- 
tinued absence  and  failing  health  of  her  husband. 
That  was  to  her  the  worst  consequence  of  their 
fallen  fortunes.  Could  he  have  remained  by  her 
side,  adversity  would  have  been  deprived  of  its  sting; 
not  that  she  desired  to  cast  the  burden  of  her  sor- 
row upon  him  — that  was  no  part  of  her  purpose  in 
life;  but  that  she  hoped  and  believed  that  she  could 
lighten  the  load  which  he  must  carry,  by  her  kindly 
word  and  smile.  Their  two  lives  had  grown  to- 
gether until  it  was  death  to  tear  asunder  the  ten- 
drils by  which  they  had  been  mutually  sustaining  and 
sustained.  She  knew  that  he  would  suffer  excruci- 
atingly in  the  absence  of  the  tender  claims  and  at- 
tentions which  had  been  the  salt  of  his  life;  but, 
as  was  usual  in  her  generous  nature,  she  underes- 
timated the  sacrifices  daily  looked  for  at  her  hands 
as  head  of  the  family,  providing  for  the  household 
out  of  an  income  so  small  that  her  customary  allow- 
ance for  petty  personal  expenses  had,  for  nearly  all 
her  married  life,  been  much  larger.  At  first,  when 
her  husband  went  to  the  gold  fields,  she  was  buoyed 
up  by  her  faith  that  a man  so  good,  and  until  now 
so  successful,  seeking  wealth  for  others  at  the  utter 
sacrifice  of  his  own  comfort,  must  necessarily  be  fa- 
vored in  his  enterprise;  but  that  misdirected  confi- 
dence died  out*  when]  months  became  years,  and  his 
labors  were  unblessed  with  the  prayed-for  compe- 
tency. Her  sons  were  as  good  and  as  earnest  in 


210 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


their  endeavors  to  mitigate  her  burden  as  their  cir- 
cumstances would  permit.  The  assistant  in  the  De- 
partment of  the  Interior  placed  his  salary  entirely 
at  his  mother’s  disposal,  and  was  happy  in  the  fact 
that  he  could  in  some  degree  atone  for  the  many 

acts  of  self-denial  on  her  part  he  daily  witnessed. 

The  youngest  son,  Fred.,  we  have  already  traced 
around  the  globe,  going  to  the  succor  of  his  father, 
but  his  first  idea  in  becoming  a sailor  was  that  he 
would  become  self-supporting  at  once,  and  should 
be  able,  within  a few  months  at  furthest,  to  add  his 
mite  to  the  scanty  store  of  the  household.  The  other 
brother  inherited  from  his  father  a business  faculty, 
which  he  applied  to  the  best  purpose  possible  in 
Christiania,  but  his  eyes  were  always  bent  on  the 
Atlantic  as  the  highway  that  should  lead  him  to 
fortune,  although  he  never  contemplated  emigrating 
until  his  sailor-brother  should  come  back  to  relieve 

him  from  his  immediate  duty.  The  girls  had  fewer 

resources  than  their  brothers,  but  within  their  limita- 
tions they  were  assiduous  in  their  efforts  to  make 
their  mother  forget  the  freightage  of  anxiety  and  dis- 
appointment that  was  bearing  her  down  to  the  tomb. 
When  the  news  of  that  fit  of  sickness  reached  Nor- 
way, at  first  from  the  pen  of  a stranger-countryman, 
who  wished  to  prepare  them  for  the  worst,  her  nat- 
ural impulse  was  to  follow  him  at  all  hazards,  but, 
alas!  necessity  has  no  law.  She  could  not  leave  her 
family  uncared  for  without  feeling  that  she  was  recre- 
ant to  her  gravest  responsibility,  nor  could  she,  by 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


21i 


any  alchemy  within  her  power,  procure  the  means 
for  such  a voyage  without  appealing,  as  her  soul 
shrank  from  doing,  to  the  generosity  of  her  friends. 
She  suffered  almost  in  silence  until  the  end,  carrying 
her  troubles  as  a sacred  chastisement,  which,  for  some 
inscrutable  purpose,  was  necessary;  but  the  fibre 
which  had  borne  so  much  snapped  asunder  in  the 
midst  of  her  daily  duties,  and  she  died  with  the  name 
of  her  husband,  coupled  with  that  of  her  Redeemer, 
on  her  lips.  She  had  been  ailing  for  some  months, 
but  none  thought  the  end  so  near.  Still,  the  even 
tenor  of  her  well  spent  life  had  been  so  scrupulously 
patterned  upon  the  maxim : “ Whatsoever  ye  would 

that  others  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  unto 
them,”  that,  under  saving  grace,  we  cannot  doubt 
that  she  was  prepared  for  the  change  upon  which 
at  last  all  mankind  must  enter. 

Martin,  the  second  son,  who  had  learned  the  busi- 
ness of  a compositor,  but  found  his  earnings  too  small 
in  Christiania  to  enable  him  to  provide  as  he  would 
have  wished  for  his  sisters,  thought  the  time  had 
arrived  for  carrying  out  his  plan  of  emigration  to 
this  country,  and  by  dint  of  the  most  painful  econo- 
mies was  at  length  able  to  accomplish  his  design. 
Landing  in  New  York  and  being  unable  to  find 
work  at  his  trade  in  that  city,  he  continued  his  jour- 
ney to  Chicago,  and  there  entered  upon  what  proved 
to  be  steady  employment  in  the  office  of  the  Skan- 
dinaven  newspaper.  Compositors  do  not  usually 
trouble  themselves  as  to  the  policy  of  the  book  or 


212 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


paper  upon  which  they  work;  the  number  of  ems 
that  they  have  the  opportunity  to  set  up  during  the 
week,  and  the  chances  for  uphat”  that  fall  to  their 
share,  are  far  more  important  factors  in  their  sum 
of  happiness;  but  there  was  something  so  broadly 
Catholic  in  the  management  of  the  Skandinaven , 
as  viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  a young  man  newly 
arrived  from  Norway,  that  every  day’s  work  was  a 
new  contribution  to  the  education  of  his  faculties. 
The  paper  was  not  on  the  fence  either  as  to  politics 
or  religion,  but  the  management  wisely  felt  that  what 
the  reading  public  most  required  on  all  questions, 
ecclesiastical  as  well  as  civil,  was  an  open  arena  in  which 
without  fear  or  favor  every  man  might  speak  his  mind. 
The  great  English  poet  and  revolutionist,  John  Milton, 
uttered  a grand  sentence,  which  will  be  quoted  for 
centuries  to  come  by  enlightened  men  vindicating  the 
right  of  unfettered  debate,  when  he  said:  “Let 
truth  and  falsehood  grapple.  Who  ever  heard  of  truth 
being  put  to  the  worse  in  a fair  and  open  encounter?” 
The  same  great  authority,  greater  in  his  prose  than 
even  in  his  undying  poetry,  set  forth  the  personal 
/esponsibility  of  every  individual  thinker  in  the  words: 
14 1 am  in  the  place  where  I am  demanded  of  con- 
science to  speak  the  truth,  and  therefore  the  truth 
I speak,  impugn  it  whoso  lists.”  No  permanent 
danger  can  arise  from  fearless  discussion.  The  truth 
is  from  the  fountain  of  all  goodness,  and  will  flow 
on  forever,  though  all  the  powers  of  darkness  should 
combine  to  stay  its  course.  Martin’s  employment 


ou  r FROM  T1IE  DARKNESS. 


213 


on  the  Skandinavcn  was  pleasant  as  well  as  profit- 
able. The  circulation  of  that  paper  being  larger 
than  that  of  any  other  paper  addressed  to  his  com- 
patriots in  this  country,  the  proprietor  could  employ 
the  very  best  editorial  talent  available,  and  was 
under  no  necessity  to  cut  down  wages  to  the  lowest 
fraction.  Before  many  months  had  elapsed  he  was 
able  to  enter  upon  his  long  meditated  scheme  fot 
the  transfer  of  his  sisters  to  this  country,  and  he 
Ispared  no  exertion  to  expedite  the  event.  His  sister 
'Walborg  was  the  first  to  respond  to  his  offer  of 
assistance,  and  his  means  were  yet  too  restricted  to 
allow  of  the  three  sisters  being  brought  over  at  the 
same  time.  A group  of  friends  taking  ship  for 
New  York  included  Walborg  in  their  little  circle, 
so  that  she  was  under  the  best  of  guardianship 
during  the  voyage  and  journey  which  landed  her  in 
Chicago  under  her  brother’s  tender  care.  She  was 
not  content  to  sit  idly  down  and  see  her  brothei 
toil  for  all  the  family  while  she  had  faculties  which, 
properly  employed,  might  hasten  the  reunion.  She 
knew  from  bitter  experiences  that  the  brother  in  Chris- 
tiania cherished  ambitious  designs  which  were  incom- 
patible with  the  fullest  discharge  of  his  brotherly 
duties,  and  she  wanted  for  his  sake,  as  well  as  for 
her  sisters’,  to  relieve  him  from  a responsibility  which 
was  felt  to  be  burdensome;  and  being  so  fortunate 
as  to  find  a clerkship  which  she  could  satisfactorily 
fill,  her  every  hour  was  given  to  business  during  the 
work-a-day  week.  Sundays,  holidays  and  almost 


214 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


every  evening  the  brother  and  sister  spent  together, 
for  until  the  circle  was  once  more  complete  they 
felt  that  it  would  be  a wrong  to  the  absent  ones 
to  waste  their  substance  in  festivities;  but  they  were 
happy  in  the  consciousness  that  they  were  doing  what 
their  parents,  could  they  see  their  sphere  of  labor 
and  their  motive,  must  of  necessity  approve.  Every 
mail  which  brought  them  word  from  the  old  country 
told  of  the  preparations  that  were  being  made  in 
Christiania  by  the  two  girls  who  were  left  behind, 
eagerly  waiting  for  the  word  to  follow. 

It  was  upon  a circle  so  broken  and  diminished 
that  Fred,  entered  when  he  returned  from  Melbourne; 
and  he  felt  as  he  rejoined  his  sisters  in  Christiania 
that  the  separation,  which  was  now  realized  for  the 
first  time,  had  been  the  hidden  cause  of  that  sad- 
ness, which  made  his  native  land  revisited  seem  to 
be  draped  in  tears.  His  own  tidings  were  not 
cheering,  but  his  coming  home  was  of  good  augury, 
notwithstanding,  and  while  his  return  was  yet  new, 
letters  came  from  Chicago  full  of  the  happiest  tidings; 
the  way  was  prepared  for  the  girls,  and  they  could 
not  come  too  soon.  Martin  had  been  offered  an 
excellent  situation  upon  the  Fatherland , a Scan- 
dinavian paper  published  in  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin, 
and  that  more  advantageous  opening  had  made  it 
possible  to  provide  for  their  speedy  passage.  Martin 
removed  immediately  to  La  Crosse  and  entered  upon 
his  new  duties,  but  Walborg  remained  in  Chicago 
for  a time  to  fulfill  her  engagement  as  well  as  to 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


215 


wait  until  she  knew  whether  the  arrangements  made 
by  Martin  would  prove  permanent.  After  a short 
interval  of  separation  the  brother  and  sister  were 
reunited  in  La  Crosse,  where  Walborg  found  almost 
instanter  a clerkship,  even  more  to  her  taste  than 
that  from  which  she  had  been  excused.  It  was  under 
such  circumstances  that  I first  met  the  lady  who  is 
now  my  wife.  Praises  of  her  sisterly  faithfulness  and 
care,  of  her  womanly  tact  and  capacity,  of  her  beauty, 
neatness,  industry  and  gentleness,  piqued  my  curiosity 
so  far  as  to  induce  me  to  make  her  acquaintance, 
in  the  many  social  gatherings  which  allowed  of  such 
a pleasure,  without  the  appearance  of  particular  at- 
tention on  my  part;  and  for  fully  two  years  I went 
no  further  lest  I might  find  myself  rebuffed,  or  still 
worse,  lest  I might  find  myself  accepted  by  some 
Xantippe  who  would  repine  over  my  sightless  con- 
dition afterwards  and  render  my  home-life  a torture. 

As  my  knowledge  of  her  true  worth  increased, 
my  circumspection  was  yet  more  severely  tried,  be- 
cause I would  not  by  any  solicitation  commit  Wal- 
borg to  a promise  to  share  my  fortunes  until  I had 
a reasonable  certainty  to  submit  to  my  fair  country- 
woman. My  want  of  success  in  St.  Louis  at  the 
beginning  of  the  last  season,  described  in  La  Crosse, 
depressed  me  all  the  more  because  of  my  hopes 
and  fears  as  to  an  early  settlement  in  life,  which 
might  be  shipwrecked  if  the  markets  upon  which 
I had  been  accustomed  to  rely  should  fail.  The 
Weaver  proposition  was  more  readily  accepted,  per- 


216 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


haps,  because  under  the  circumstances  it  was  pleas- 
ant as  well  as  profitable  to  stay  in  La  Crosse  and 
look  after  all  my  interests,  and,  in  the  greater  per- 
manency of  my  resources  under  the  new  arrange- 
ment in  which  I had  at  the  time  the  fullest  con- 
fidence, I saw  no  reason  why  I should  not  have  a 

home  of  my  own  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term. 
I could  not  write  a love  story  if  I tried,  and  I 

would  not  if  I could,  for  wooing  is  like  praying, 
a sacred  duty  which  should  not  be  paraded  before 
the  world.  When  sometimes  I have  heard  young 

people  billing  and  cooing  like  turtle  doves  in  the 

presence  of  uninterested  persons,  I have  been  re- 
minded of  certain  stores  or  magazhis  in  Paris  to 
which  my  attention  has  been  called,  in  which  the 
whole  stock  of  the  establishment  is  exhibited  in  the 
plate-glass  window;  and  I have  been  inclined  to  ask 
whether  it  might  not  pay  to  place  a little  of  the 
redundant  window-dressing  upon  the  shelves,  or  in 
boxes,  where  it  could  not  be  damaged  by  the  gar- 
ish sunshine,  and  might  prove  valuable  for  future  use. 
My  suit  was  accepted,  with  all  my  great  drawbacks, 
of  the  greatness  of  which  I was  not  reminded  by 
a word  nor  a tone,  and  it  only  remained  for  us  to 
watch  the  course  of  events  so  that  our  venture  in 
life  might  be  entered  upon  with  the  best  auguries. 
When  the  Weaver  promises  failed  of  fulfillment, 
the  probability  of  an  early  marriage  was  dimmed 
almost  to  extinction,  and  the  close  of  the  river 
against  navigation  with  nearly  all  the  industry  of 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


217 


the  season  locked  up  in  the  warehouse  of  my  dear 
friend,  was  as  the  sound  of  a death  knell.  Then 
came  the  revival  of  my  hopes  as  the  chances  for 
trade  in  the  smaller  towns  were  suggested,  and  as 
the  reader  is  aware,  my  second  visit  to  New  York 
grew  out  of  the  smaller  enterprise.  It  would  be 
mere  surplusage  to  reiterate  the  story  of  my  journey 
and  my  success.  With  the  impetus  of  my  good 
fortune  fresh  upon  me,  my  sales  no  longer  depending 
upon  a comparatively  narrow  and  moneyless  market, 
I saw  no  reason  to  postpone  that  happiness  toward 
which  every  human  life  should  be  directed;  hence, 
it  happened  that  when  my  palace  of  cards  fell  to 
the  ground  through  the  blunders  which  have  been 
detailed,  I was  not  alone  in  my  misfortunes.  My 
wife  and  myself  did  not  sit  down  to  indulge  in  the 
expensive  luxury  of  grief;  there  was  too  much  work 
to  be  accomplished  for  any  such  folly.  F red.  and 
his  sisters,  attempting  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  were 
twice  driven  back  to  Queenstown,  Ireland,  the  first 
time  so  badly  wrecked  that  the  crew,  passengers 
and  cargo  had  to  be  transhipped  with  great  delay, 
and  the  second  time  with  the  steamer  in  need  of 
such  repairs  as  made  it  matter  for  rejoicing  that 
their  lives  were  spared  from  the  terrors  of  the 
deep,  and  the  voyage  was  not  completed  until  six 
weeks  from  the  first  departure.  Thus  we  were  en- 
tered upon  married  life  at  last,  in  spite  of  all  our 
prevision,,  with  auguries  such  as  might  well  have  de- 
terred us  from  thinking  of  such  a step,  but  we  could 


218 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


not,  and  we  would  not,  retrace  our  steps  for  a for- 
tune. My  first  set-back  in  Fort  Atkinson  was  but 
the  prelude  to  my  greater  success  in  Chicago,  and 
my  most  unprosperous  ending  there  after  a prolonged 
term  of  money-making  business  did  not  mar  my 
prospects  for  a third  start,  which  proved  in  every 
sense  so  fortunate  for  me,  in  La  Crosse.  Why 
should  this  reverse  prove  final?  Robert  the  Bruce, 
hunted  from  his  kingdom  a lurking  fugitive,  with  a 
price  upon  his  head,  almost  despairing  of  his  power 
to  redeem  Scotland  from  the  thrall  of  the  Saxon, 
saw,  as  he  lay  on  his  poor  pallet  in  an  out-house, 
a spider  engaged  in  its  task  of  house-building,  try- 
ing to  swing  by  a thread  of  its  own  spinning,  so 
that  it  might  gain  a foothold  which  was  necessary 
for  its  work  on  a distant  angle.  Ten  times  the 
courageous  creature  tried  and  failed,  but  with  the 
eleventh  effort  it  succeeded.  The  lesson  of  perse- 
verance was  not  lost,  and  the  Bruce  was  bold 
enough  to  win  his  throne.  Why,  then,  should  I 
despair,  with  so  much  to  encourage  renewed  ex- 
ertion. 


CHAPTER  V. 


“ I have  been  young,  and  now  am  old ; yet  have  I not  seen  the 
righteous  forsaken,  nor  his  seed  begging  bread.” — Psalms 
xxxvii.,  25. 

“Boast  not  thyself  of  to-morrow;  for  thou  knowest  not  what 
a day  may  bring  forth.” — Prov.  xxvii.,  1. 

The  Book  of  Job  and  the  sorrows  of  the  man  of 
Uz  rise  before  my  mind’s  eye  whenever  I attempt 
to  recall  the  events  of  the  few  years  of  my  life 
immediately  following  my  marriage,  although  I 
dare  not  compare  myself  with  that  ideal  embodi- 
ment of  patience  under  unmerited  misfortune,  and 
it  would  be  unjust  in  the  last  degree  to  give  cur- 
rency to  the  idea  that  my  wife  deserved  to  rank 
with  the  most  exasperating  of  Job’s  comforters. 

We  were  married  on  the  eighteenth  day  of 
May,  1871,  and  almost  immediately  after  that  event 
it  became  apparent  that  every  cent  of  my  labori- 
ously earned  capital  had  disappeared.  Under  all 
these  disadvantages,  and  pending  a settlement  of  some 
kind,  we  remained  in  business  in  La  Crosse  until 
the  fall  of  that  year,  working  up  the  materials  left 
on  hand  from  my  once  heavy  stock,  and  striving 
to  reduce  in  a just  and  equitable  way  the  load  of 
debt  which  should  have  been  liquidated  by  my  re- 
turns from  the  New  York  sale.  I strove  by  solici- 

219 


220 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


tations,  and  eventually  by  threats  of  legal  proceed- 
ings, to  obtain  concessions  from  the  railroad 

companies,  whose  excessive  charges,  and  the  delays 
incident  thereto,  were  my  undoing;  but,  as  one  of 
my  friends  remarked,  there  would  have  been  a 

deal  more  wisdom  in  saving  my  wind  to  cool  my 
porridge.  I turned  over  to  my  creditors,  in  the 
last  resort,  my  house  and  furniture,  which  might 

have  been  held  against  all  claims,  under  the  home- 
stead exemption  in  Wisconsin,  and  with  a few 
items  of  personal  luggage,  and  the  more  portable 
articles  of  household  use,  we  prepared  to  leave  La 
Crosse  without  a dollar.  My  friend,  Mons  Ander- 
son, whose  manifold  kindnesses  have  been  too 

scantily  acknowledged,  for  they  were  incessant,  took 
me  aside  on  my  farewell  visit,  and  compelled  me 

to  acknowledge  my  penniless  condition,  as  I in- 
tended to  secure  my  passage  through  to  Chicago 
by  pawning  my  effects  until  money  could  be 

earned  to  redeem  them.  His  generosity  passed  all 
bounds,  but  I will  not  wound  him  by  enlarging  on 
his  kindness.  His  words  of  encouragement  to  my 
wife  and  myself  put  courage  into  our  hearts,  which 
was  worth  more  than  the  money  put  in  our  pock- 
ets, or  the  many  costly  presents  with  which  he 

prepared  us  for  our  next  housekeeping.  It  may 
seem  strange  that  we  should  leave  a city  endeared 
to  us  by  so  many  tender  associations,  where  friends 
so  constant  and  counsellors  so  faithful  abounded ; but 
the  fact  was,  that  the  profits  of  the  broom  busi- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


221 


ness  in  that  locality  had  fallen  so  low,  with  so  little 
prospect  of  its  improvement  for  at  least  a year, 
that  there  would  have  remained  no  margin  to  pay 
for  my  labor,  after  providing  for  interest  upon  the 
borrowed  capital  upon  which  I must  proceed  if  my 
business  was  to  be  resumed.  I could  have  raised 
the  capital  readily  enough,  but  my  wife  concurring 
with  me  in  the  conclusion  that  we  had  oetter  begin 
at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  elsewhere,  we  set  out 
upon  our  travels,  intending  to  seek  our  fortunes  in 
Chicago.  We  went  to  Oakland  on  a visit  to  my 
old  home  for  a week,  and  once  more  had  offered 
to  us  the  advantages  which  I had  so  many  times  per- 
sonally declined;  but  the  reasons  which  weighed 
with  me  in  my  younger  days  were  incomparably  more 
absolute  now,  when  the  responsibilities  of  my  new  con- 
dition were  likely  to  make  fresh  demands  on  my  ener- 
gy and  enterprise.  Our  long  deferred  bridal  tour  was 
somewhat  sorrowful,  although  our  friends  did  all  in 
their  power  to  console  and  cheer  us  in  our  uncertain 
prospects.  Chicago  seemed  to  me  a name  to  con- 
jure with,  but  it  was  not  easy  to  make  my  father 
see  it  in  that  light,  and  my  mother  was  full  of  fore- 
bodings. The  week  came  to  an  end  at  last;  the 
Sunday  was  spent  in  devotional  exercises  in  the 
little  church  in  which  I first  found  peace,  and  our 
names  and  troubles  were  brought  before  the  great 
white  throne  by  many  loving  souls  who  wrestled 
earnestly,  as  did  Jacob  of  old  with  the  Angel,  and 
if  deliverance  came  not.  we  have  faith  to  believe 


222 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


that  it  is  because  the  ways  of  God  are  not  as  our 
ways: 

“ Not  enjoyment  and  not  sorrow  is  our  destined  end  or  way, 
But  to  live  that  each  to-morrow  finds  us  further  than  to-day.  1 

When  we  arrived  at  the  railroad  depot  on  Mon- 
day morning,  to  commence,  or  rather  to  re-commence, 
our  journey,  the  news  was  on  everybody’s  lips  that 
Chicago  was  on  fire;  but,  knowing  the  tendency  to 
exaggeration  in  every  mind  and  on  every  tongue,  I 
discounted  what  was  told  me  in  a very  liberal  way. 
The  neighbors  who  had  accompanied  us  so  far  urged 
our  return,  to  wait  until  some  certainty  should  be 
reached  as  to  the  continuance  of  the  city  or  its  being 
literally  burned  off  the  face  of  the  earth,  but  I would 
not  listen  to  such  suggestions,  not  because  a day  or 
two  just  then  was  of  any  great  consequence,  but 
rather  because  of  my  superstitious  dread  about  turn- 
ing back.  The  augurs  whose  business  it  was  to 
foretell  the  probable  outcome  of  warlike  expedi- 
tions in  Rome,  by  observing  the  flights  of  birds, 
by  examining  birds’  entrails,  or  by  other  means 
equally  nonsensical,  could  npt  look  in  each  others’ 
faces  without  laughing,  so  conversant  were  they 
with  the  absurdity  of  their  profession;  but  the  fact 
remains  notwithstanding,  after  eighteen  hundred 
years  of  Christianizing  influence,  that  few  men  can 
be  found  who  are  absolutely  without  faith  in  omens. 
Few  ship  captains  will  dare  commence  a voyage  on 
Friday;  the  hardfest  sailor  turns  pale  at  the  sight 
of  a shark  following  his  vessel  if  there  is  any  sick 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


223 


man  on  board;  the  housekeeper  who  has  upset  the 
salt  is  doubtful  of  the  consequences  unless  she  had 
the  presence  of  mind  at  the  moment  to  throw  a 
pinch  of  it  over  the  shoulder;  and  so  on,  through  a 
long  category  of  omens  in  which  even  eminent  men, 
such  as  the  first  Napoleon,  have  been  unquestioning 
believers.  I had  not  the  heart  to  turn  back  at  the 
beginning  of  my  journey,  and  I did  not  doubt  that 
we  should  find  the  conflagration  extinguished  by  the 
time  of  our  arrival  in  the  burning  metropolis.  That 
idea  was  short-lived.  Before  we  had  passed  Milton 
Junction  the  news  had  been  flashed  over  the  lines 
with  awful  particularity,  how  the  fire,  which  had 
been  raging  a very  tempest  of  flame  for  more  than 
sixteen  hours,  had  broken  out,  no  one  could  tell 
how  nor  where  with  any  certainty,  just  as  the 
people  were  going  home  from  church,  and  up  to 
that  moment  had  defied  all  efforts  to  arrest  its  prog- 
ress. The  wind,  fresh  at  the  beginning  of  that 
cyclone  of  destruction,  had  grown  stronger  as  the 
tongues  of  flame  leapt  into  the  air,  until  the  heart 
of  the  doomed  city  glowed  like  a furnace.  The 
water-works  had  been  burned,  so  that  there  were 
hardly  any  means  available  to  fight  the  devouring 
element,  and  flames  floating  in  the  atmosphere  had 
fallen  upon  buildings  supposed  to  be  fire-proof,  shriv- 
eling them  as  an  ordinary  fire  might  consume  paper. 
There  was  no  longer  any  room  for  doubt  as  to  the 
terrible  reality,  and  in  the  presence  of  a calamity 
unparalleled  in  the  world’s  history  there  was  no 


224 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


margin  for  exaggeration.  It  was  too  evident  that 
we  could  find  no  home  in  Chicago,  but  we  must  go 
on,  as  almost  our  last  dollar  had  been  expended  in 
transportation  to  that  point,  and  what  to  do  we  knew 
not.  At  every  station  now,  men  who  had  escaped 
from  the  flaming  dwellings  and  stores  of  the  metropo- 
lis, came  on  the  cars  to  tell  of  the  fearful  sights 
they  had  seen,  of  robbers  plying  their  vocation  in 
open,  day,  deaf  to  expostulations  and  entreaty;  of 
men  narrowly  escaping  with  their  lives  from  stores 
in  which  they  had  built  up  fortunes,  remembering 
of  a sudden  that  they  had  left  valuables  within  easy 
reach  in  the  burning  pile,  and  returning  back  again 
into  the  jaws  of  death,  to  be  seen  no  more  until 
the  last  trump  shall  sound;  of  men  working  hard 
against  the  flames,  without  food,  nearly  all  night, 
drinking  whisky  as  though  it  were  water,  and  find- 
ing no  evil  consequence  in  the  awful  excitement  of 
the  time;  of  others  partaking  freely  of  liquors 
broached  in  the  streets,  reeling  inco  cellars  and  base- 
ments in  their  intoxication,  and  being  found  hours 
afterward,  burned  into  cinders.  The  stories  which 
reached  us  became  horrifying,  and  many  passengers 
left  the  cars  at  intermediate  stations,  but  there  was 
no  such  option  for  us;  and  inasmuch  as  we  did  not 
choose  to  tell  the  simple  but  humiliating  reason  for 
stolidly  pursuing  our  way,  the  strange  obstinacy  of 
the  blind  man  and  his  wife  rushing  on,  regardless 
of  warning, 

“ Into  the  jaws  of  death, 

Into  the  gates  of  hell,” 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


225 


became  a theme  of  common  conversation.  The 
burning  of  Chicago  was  for  us  a calamity  almost 
as  great  as  that  suffered  by  the  hundreds  of  thousands 
burned  out  of  house  and  home.  The  home  on  which 
we  had  counted  in  our  "extremity  was  swept  from 
us,  and  we  had  no  abiding  city  nor  association,  but 
were  hastening  on  as  fast  as  steam  could  carry  us, 
into  a city  where  one-half  of  the  people  were  home- 
less and  without  bread.  I felt  hot  tear-drops  fall  on 
my  hand  when  we  drew  near  our  destination,  and 
I knew  that  my  poor  wife  realized  the  despair  of 
her  blind  leader.  I was  worked  up  to  desperation 
by  her  silent  agony,  and  I resolved  that  I would 
tell  my  story  in  brief  to  the  first  man  that  accosted 
me  manifesting  a willingness  to  converse.  It  was 
not  long  before  an  opportunity  occurred:  a passenger 
taking  Chicago  on  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
moved  perhaps  by  our  disconsolate  appearance,  asked 
if  our  home  had  been  in  Chicago.  True  to  my 
purpose,  I told  him  all  that  was  necessary  to  enable 
him  to  grasp  our  situation,  without,  however,  revealing 
to  him  fully  our  impoverished  condition,  lest  he 
might  think  us  mendicants.  He  gave  us  his  counsel 
readily,  and  in  few  words:  “ Go  to  St.  Louis;  the 
people  are  notional  and  narrow,  but  they  are  hos- 
pitable, and  you  will  surely  find  employment.”  That 
sentence  determined  me,  and  from  that  moment  St. 
Louis  was  my  destination.  I knew  many  merchants 
with  whom  I had  transacted  business  in  that  city, 
and  once  there  I could  earn  a home  for  us  both. 

15 


220  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

The  difficulties  of  transhipment  were  easily  over- 
come, thanks  to  my  newly-made  friend,  but  the  cost 
of  our  passage  was  a problem  of  which  I could  not 
guess  the  solution.  We  had  in  our  pocketbook 
enough  money  to  pay  for  shelter  and  a meal,  but 
we  were  hurried  off  so  rapidly  that  no  thought  of 
refreshment  was  to  be  entertained  until  it  was  too 
late  to  make  inquiries.  Excitement  around  us  on 
every  hand  was  momentarily  increasing;  some  men, 
probably  thieves,  but  suspected  of  being  incendiaries, 
were  said  to  have  been  hanged,  and  it  was  argued 
that  the  fire  would  be  renewed  in  every  quarter 
until  vigilance  committees  took  up  the  task  of  self- 
defence  by  putting  all  suspicious  characters  to  death. 
The  air  was  hot  and  stifling;  one  seemed  to  breathe 
cinders  and  pulverized  ashes.  A man  on  the  cars 
said  that  cinders  still  hot  from  the  consuming  city 
had  fallen  on  the  Crib,  two  miles  out  on  the  lake. 
Another  asserted  that  in  the  very  worst  portions 
of  the  fire  the  atmosphere  itself  had  become  inflam- 
mable. The  flames  had  defeated  all  calculations^ 
had  sailed,  as  one  man  said,  right  in  the  wind’s 
eye,  little  less  rapidly  than  where  there  were  favor- 
ing breezes,  except  in  those  localities  where  the 
strength  of  the  gale  enabled  the  gusts  of  flame  to 
convert  stone  itself  into  fuel.  Chicago,  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  showed  nothing  but  lines  of 
blackened  ruins,  except  in  those  localities  in  which 
the  flames  still  raged.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  I was  no  longer  utterly  blind;  my  wife  was 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


227 


with  me.  The  west  side  of  the  city,  where  the 
blaze  first  arose,  had  sustained  much  damage,  but 
a part  of  that  section  had  escaped  the  fatal  tongue 
of  the  destroyer.  The  bridges  had  some  of  them 
been  utterly  burned,  and  all  of  them  more  or  less 
damaged  within  the  radius  of  the  conflagration;  the 
tunnels  even  had  not  escaped.  The  flames  leaping 
from  that  side,  had  cleared  the  river  at  a bound, 
sweeping  the  south  side  and  the  north  side  into 
a lurid  dream.  So  rapid  had  been  the  march  of 
the  destroyer,  that  whole  families  fled  from  their 
gorgeous  dwellings,  leaving  furniture,  pictures,  car- 
pets, and  all  the  insignia  of  wealth,  to  feed  the 
flames,  without  an  effort  to  save  them,  and  coming 
back  a few  hours  later,  were  unable  to  recognize 
the  sites  of  their  own  dwellings,  so  complete  had 
been  the  action  of  that  whirlwind  of  fire.  Furni- 
ture saved  from  innumerable  homes,  and  piled  up 
in  the  open  squares  remote  from  habitations,  took 
fire  there  and  burned  to  ashes.  Men  driving  horses 
with  wagon-loads  of  furniture  and  goods,  through  the 
streets,  were  consumed,  with  all  that  they  were 
struggling  to  save.  It  was  a scene  to  shudder  over, 
and  it  seemed  as  though  thousands  in  escaping  from 
the  flames  must  inevitably  perish  of  starvation.  It 
did  not  appear  possible  that  a city  so  young  and  so 
completely  ravaged,  just  on  the  verge  of  winter, 
would  rise  again  from  its  ashes  with  such  expedition 
as  to  afford  employment,  during  the  inclement  season 
then  imminent,  to  every  builder  in  its  own  popula- 


228 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS* 

tion,  and  to  draw  thousands  of  artificers  from  the 
surrounding  country.  Could  we  have  only  seen  the 
future  but  a few  months  ahead,  perhaps  our  course 
might  have  been  changed,  but  no  man  knows  what 
a day  may  bring  forth,  and  that  provision  has  been 
wisely  ordered.  That  there  was  no  danger  of  imme- 
diate famine  we  soon  had  convincing  proof;  but  who 
could  imagine  that  a scene  of  destruction  without 
parallel  in  the  modern  nations,  would  be  followed 
by  a display  of  recuperative  energy  almost  sublime, 
as  soon  as  the  ruins  became  cold  enough  to  permit 
the  work  to  begin?  In  the  midst  of  our  distress 
We  found  cause  for  thankfulness  that  we  had  paid 
our  visit  to  Oakland,  but  for  which  we  might  have 
been  not  only  homeless,  but  also  without  clothes  or 
furniture,  out  upon  the  prairies  or  by  the  lake  front, 
with  thousands  besides,  praying  for  rain.  With 
thoughts  innumerable  and  anxieties  absolutely  sick- 
ening, we  were  trying  not  so  much  to  pierce  the 
future  as  to  deal  with  the  immediate  need,  a pass- 
age to  St.  Louis.  The  French  have  expressed  the 
helplessness  of  mankind  in  their  maxim,  “ L? homme 
'propose  a Dieu  dispose ,”  and  we  proved  its  truth 
in  our  case  most  happily.  Man  proposed  and  God 
disposed,  most  assuredly.  The  railroad  companies 
gave  free  transit  to  every  person  desiring  such  aid 
to  fly  from  the  city  of  flame,  and  the  cars  were 
crowded  with  just  such  eager  throngs  as  we  may 
imagine  seeking  safety  by  flight  when  a sin-defiled 
universe  shall  realize  the  wrath  to  come. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


229 


We  were  off  on  our  way  to  St.  Louis,  and  at  every 
station  the  fugitives  from  the  fire  were  importuned  by 
good  Samaritans  to  eat  and  drink  of  the  choicest 
viands  they  could  offer.  Never  was  there  such  an 
outpouring  of  generosity  upon  the  earth  as  that  which 
ministered  to  the  Chicago  sufferers  in  the  era  upon 
which  we  had  now  entered.  No  man  could  des- 
pair of  a world  in  which  such  loving  kindness  was 
possible.  The  Living  Redeemer  was  on  the  earth 
in  the  spirit  which  said,  UA  new  commandment  do 
I give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another.”  The 
scanty  means  which  were  intended  to  provide  for 
our  first  wants  in  Chicago  remained  still  in  our 
possession  to . answer  a like  purpose  in  St.  Louis. 
Provisions  of  all  kinds  were  heaped  up  with  prod- 
igal profusion  in  every  car,  and  still  at  every  station 
we  found  sweet-voiced  messengers  of  mercy  waiting 
with  baskets  and  hampers  laden  with  fresh  sup- 
plies, which  they  could  not  be  persuaded  to  believe 
were  unnecessary.  Thus  it  continued  all  through 
the  journey,  and,  but  that  I fear  my  narrative  might 
grow  tiresome,  a thousand  and  one  instances  of  spe- 
cial kindness  and  consideration  for  my  dear  wife 
and  her  blind  partner  might  be  told  as  incidents 
of  that  singular  time.  Arrived  in  St.  Louis,  there 
was  enough  provision  left  in  our  car  to  have  loaded 
a wagon,  and  I was  told  that  the  whole  train  of 
cars  was  just  as  bountifully  provided.  Some  of  the 
passengers  were  about  to  select  from  the  store  of 
good  things  enough  to  carry  them  over  the  next 


230 


OUT  FROM  XHE  DARKNESS. 


few  days,  while  they  might  be  out  of  employment, 
but  they  desisted  when  word  was  passed  -that  all 
the  principal  hotels  in  the  city  were  open  free  to 
Chicago  sufferers.  We  were  carried  to  the  Planters’ 
House,  an  admirable  hotel,  made  welcome  as  princes, 
and  when  we  tendered  payment  next  morning  as- 
sured that  no  money  would  be  taken  from  us  if  we 
stayed  a week,  or  until  we  could  employ  ourselves 
in  the  city.  Such  benevolence  was  sacred,  but  it 

must  not  be  imposed  upon,  so  we  found  other 
quarters  that  forenoon,  and  I sallied  out  to  discover 
what  were  my  chances  in  the  way  of  work.  I 
was  unable  to  hire  myself  out  as  a workman, 
although  I wanted  piece  - work  only,  and  was  will, 
ing  to  forego  my  claims  to  remuneration  if  my 
brooms  were  not  properly  turned  out  of  hand.  As 
a fugitive  from  Chicago,  I could  have  been  lodged, 
fed  and  clothed  with  pleasure;  but  as  a blind  man 
seeking  employment  there  was  apparently  no  open- 
ing in  St.  Louis.  My  only  chance  was  to  start  a 
shop  in  the  city,  and  commence  the  manufacture 
of  brooms  on  my  own  account,  and  that  was  no 
chance  at  all,  because  no  jDremises  were  obtainable  \ 
without  paying  one  month’s  rent  in  advance,  and 
they  might  as  well  have  demanded  from  me  the 
moon  and  the  seven  stars  as  a deposit.  Besides,  even 
supposing  that  the  sweet  influences  of  Pleiades 
should  procure  me  a workshop  and  a home,  with- 
out money  I should  still  have  been  powerless,  being 
no  longer  possessed  of  the  tools  and  machinery  for 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


231 


my  factory,  which  had  been  surrendered  with  my 
homestead  and  all  its  belongings  at  La  Crosse.  A 
gentleman  employed  on  the  St.  Louis  Republican 
as  a reporter,  Mr.  Dacus,  became  aware  of  my 
quandary,  and,  but  that  his  means  were  no  longer 
equal  to  the  generous  impulses  which  as  a planter 
in  better  days  he  had  nobly  indulged,  my  difficulties 
would  have  been  of  brief  duration.  We  were  for 
a time  a committee  of  ways  and  means,  and  I 
feared  that  our  deliberations  would  be  permanent, 
so  small  were  the  likelihoods  of  any  profitable  out- 
come; but  Mr.  Dacus,  whose  character  was  justly 
esteemed  by  his  old  friends,  many  of  whom  were 
wealthy,  entertained  different  ideas.  Mr.  Dacus 
introduced  us  to  an  old  associate  of  his,  with  whom 
he  had  spent  months  and  years  of  joyous  compan- 
ionship before  the  war,  when  both  were  much  richer; 
and  Mr.  Shepard  advanced  seventy-five  dollars  to 
enable  us  to  secure  premises  and  materials  with  the 
use  of  machinery;  and  when  after  a very  few  days 
he  found  me  busily  at  work,  he  supplemented  his 
first  kindness  by  increasing  the  loan  to  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty- five  dollars.  I was  now  fairly 
started  on  what  seemed  to  be  a prosperous  career. 
With  my  sample  brooms  in  hand,  I went  to  the 
largest  dealer  in  that  line  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Cupples, 
a merchant  confining  his  attention  mainly  to  willow 
and  wooden  ware,  and  he  encouraged  me  with  an 
order  for  one  hundred  dozen  brooms  per  week. 
There  was  a service  of  praise  and  prayer  in  our 


232 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


little  home  that  night,  for,  although  we  were  work- 
ing for  small  prices,  there  was  a margin  of  two 
shillings  per  dozen  after  covering  all  expenses,  and 
our  home  for  the  winter  would  be  assured.  Mr.  Cup- 
pies  was  very  kind  to  us  in  many  ways,  and  came 
to  be  reckoned  among  our  friends.  F our  pairs  of 
hands  in  addition  to  my  own  were  employed  in 
the  little  factory  within  a few  days,  and  before  the 
first  month  came  to  a close  there  were  six  men 
earning  good  wages  in  my  shop.  There  was  good 
news  to  send  to  Oakland  and  La  Crosse,  and  we 
were  overjoyed  at  being  able  write  home. 

All  this  time  we  were  blissfully  unaware  that 
there  was  an  inhospitable  element  in  St.  Louis  life, 
which  looked  with  cruel  eyes  upon  our  endeavors, 
and  had  determined  to  drive  us  out  of  the  city. 
In  the  old  cities  of  Europe  there  are  guilds  and 
corporations  which  rule  with  almost  arbitrary  power 
in  all  matters  touching  employment  in  the  handi- 
crafts which  they  severally  represent,  and  their  powers 
used  to  be  still  more  absolute  than  they  are  now. 
Some  such  combination  has  been  established  among 
the  master  broom-makers  in  St.  Louis,  with  a cap- 
ital which  I have  been  told  aggregates  more  than 
one  million  dollars,  and  the  purpose  of*  that  organ- 
ization was  to  prevent  any  new-comer  from  run- 
ning a factory  there  on  any  terms.  English  “Rat- 
teners”  in  Sheffield  and  elsewhere  had  been  known 
to  have  warned  away  men  who  were  striving  to 
support  their  families  by  honest  labor,  outside  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


233 


pale  of  the  illegal  combination,  and,  failing  compliance 
with  their  tyrannical  orders,  the  “Ratteners”  would 
throw  deadly  explosives  down  cottage  chimnies  into 
the  fires  in  the  rooms  where  the  doomed  men  and 
their  wives  and  little  ones  sat  at  their  meals;  they 
had  in  numberless  instances  mixed  powder  with  the 
fuel  which  such  workmen  must  use,  so  that  in  the 
exercise  of  their  needful  industry  they  met  death; 
in  ways  too  numerous  to  be  specified  the  “ Rat- 
teners”  had  compassed  the  ruin  of  their  victims; 
but  such  tyrannous  proceedings  in  England,  under 
coalitions  disowned  by  the  law,  and  based  on  the 
ignorance,  prejudices  and  fears  of  workmen,  could 
find  no  parallel  in  enlightened,  liberty-loving  Amer- 
ica. It  was  not  long  before  I learned  that  “ Rat- 
tening” is  not  confined  to  England,  and  if  my  per- 
secutors did  not  resort  to  such  means  as  have  been 
used  by  the  Molly  Maguires  in  Pennsylvania,  or 
the  followers  of  the  miscreant  Brodhead  in  Shef- 
field, it  is  because  the  command  of  unlimited  capital 
enables  them  to  work  the  ruin  upon  which  they 
resolve,  without  damaging  their  status  as  master 
manufacturers.  I had  been  at  work  a little  more 
than  a month,  and,  cheered  by  my  moderate  success, 
had  purchased  the  tools  and  machinery  which  at 
first  had  been  only  rented,  when,  the  very  day 
after  we  had  written  home  to  tell  of  the  progress 
that  had  been  made,  I was  waited  upon  in  my 
little  workshop  by  three  well  dressed,  gentlemanly 
appearing  men,  who  told  me  they  were  a committee 


234 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


appointed  by  the  Broom-maker’s  Association  to  in- 
form me  that  I must  quit  the  business  on  which  I 
had  entered  or  leave  St.  Louis.  I tried  in  vain  to 
argue  my  claim  against  the  demands  of  the  auto- 
cratic Association;  as  the  committee  had  not  been 
delegated  to  reason  on  the  matter,  it  was  their  sim- 
ple duty  to  say  to  me  that  if  I would  go  at  once, 
making  no  fuss,  they  were  authorized  to  pay  me 
the  actual  cost  of  my  materials  and  machinery; 
but  in  the  event  of  my  declining  that  proposition, 
or  even  delaying  acceptance,  they  would  run  me 
out  without  one  cent  to  buy  a crust.  I pleaded  with 
them  to  give  us  until  spring  so  that  we  might  not 
be  driven  out  penniless  to  face  the  winter,  offering 
them  any  guaranty  in  my  power  that  I would 
quit  St.  Louis  then  to  return  no  more.  The  elo- 
quence of  St.  Paul,  which  moved  the  men  of  Athens 
beyond  the  depths  of  Greek  philosophy,  would  have 
been  powerless  against  that  pitiless  Association,  and 
it  only  remained  for  me  to  try  whether  my  un- 
ceasing labor  and  the  prayer  for  daily  bread  might 
not  avail  in  that  high  court  of  heaven,  which  the 
malice  and  corruption  of  mankind  cannot  warp  nor 
circumvent. 

That  interview  took  place  on  Monday,  and  when 
the  week  drew  on  to  Saturday  without  any  overt 
act  of  antagonism,  I began  [to  hope  that  the  Asso- 
ciation was  not  so  flinty-hearted  as  its  representa- 
tive committee  would  have  me  believe.  My  repre- 
sentations and  deferred  submission  had  worked  some 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


235 


change  in  their  ruinous  programme;  although  I had 
scrupulously  avoided  any  reference  to  my  personal 
defect,  it  was  possible  that  my  sightless  eyes  had 
pleaded  for  me  beyond  the  power  of  language,  and 
although  they  would  not  in  so  many  words  consent 
to  my  invasion  of  their  usurped  domain,  they  had 
concluded  to  leave  me  alone  severely  for  the  winter. 
My  hopes  interested  and  cheered  me  until  Saturday, 
and  then  the  completeness  of  my  isolation  became 
manifest.  I was  indeed  to  be  left  severely  alone,  but 
it  was  to  be  alone  without  a paying  customer  for  my 
manufactures.  Until  that  day  my  patron  had  sent 
his  wagon  every  Saturday  to  fetch  the  quantity  of 
brooms  that  had  been  contracted  for  as  the  weekly 
supply,  and  to  save  expressage  was  quite  an  im- 
portant item  when  only  twenty-five  cents  remained 
to  me  on  every  dozen  brooms.  That  Saturday  the 
wagon  failed  to  visit  my  workshop,  and  after  ex- 
hausting my  ingenuity  to  account  for  that  fact  on 
any  other  theory  than  the  dreaded  one  that  Mr. 
Cupples  did  not  want  my  brooms,  I went  to  his 
establishment  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  delay. 
I left  his  store  that  day  with  my  brain  loaded  and 
throbbing  under  defeat;  my  enemies  had  triumphed. 
Naboth’s  vineyard  had  been  carried  by  storm.  The 
Association,  knowing  that  Mr.  Cupples  was  my  only 
customer,  had  engaged  to  supply  him  with  all  the 
brooms  he  would  require  at  two  shillings  per  dozen 
less  than  he  had  been  paying  me,  and  in  consequence 
I was  left  out  in  the  cold.  Out  of  consideration 


236 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


for  me,  as  I had  depended  upon  his  money  to  pay 
my  workmen  and  other  imperative  demands,  he  con- 
sented to  take  from  me  the  quantity  made  that 
week  at  the  Association  price,  so  that  I had  worked 
all  the  week  for  nothing,  and  I was  left  alone  with 
my  despair.  One  week  only  had  passed  since  we 
wrote  home  the  glad  tidings  that  we  had  com- 
menced once  more  to  climb  the  ladder  of  fortune, 
and  before  our  modest  congratulations  had  reached 
their  destination  our  hopes  had  burst  like  a bubble. 

The  Sabbath,  usually  a blessed  season  in  our  little 
household,  was  a lenten  feast  that  day.  Spite  of 
ourselves,  the  blackness  of  our  environment  domi- 
neered over  our  faith,  and  it  was  not  possible  either 
to  dismiss  the  subject  from  our  thoughts  or  to  dis- 
cover any  practical  outlet  from  our  distressful  condi- 
tion. It  was  too  late  now  to  accept  the  terms  offered 
by  the  committee  in  the  beginning  of  the  past  week; 
the  war  had  been  entered  upon,  and  was  already 
ended,  at  our  cost.  But,  even  assuming  that  there 
was  a locus  penitentice , and  that  we  might  capitulate, 
sans  'phrase , it  would  leave  us  homeless,  without  tools 
or  materials,  and  without  the  means  to  remove  our- 
selves to  another  city,  where  such  another  combination 
might  permit  us  to  remain.  Every  cent  that  the  cruel 
Association  offered  in  the  first  place  would  be  neces- 
.sary  to  satisfy  our  friendly  creditors,  and  there  were 
reasons  of  an  urgent  kind  why  my  wife  should  have 
had  peace  and  cheerfulness  in  her  home  that  winter. 
If  there  had  been  any  other  industry  to  which  I could 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


237 


have  turned,  my  course  would  have  been  clearly  de- 
fined but  no  such  option  was  mine.  The  winter  was 
a season  of  dread  to  me,  and  the  resignation  with 
which  my  wife  met  every  fresh  reverse  was  an  addi- 
tional reproach  to  my  impatience  under  misfortune 
and  injustice.  We  could  find  no  guidance  under  our 
troubles  that  would  take  us  out  of  the  battle,  so  we 
determined  to  continue  the  struggle,  however  une- 
qual might  be  the  forces  engaged.  My  chances  were 
gone  completely,  so  far  as  the  wholesale  dealers  were 
concerned,  as  the  Association  would  not  scruple  to 
supply  them  all  at  a loss  rather  than  permit  me  to 
gain  a point;  but  there  were  many  small  traders  scat- 
tered all  over  the  city  and  suburbs  who  might  be  in- 
duced to  buy  their  small  parcels  from  me  if  my 
strength  was  equal  to  the  task  of  distributing  my 
wares  without  a conveyance  of  any  kind,  after  spend- 
ing the  major  part  of  my  time  every  week  in  their 
manufacture.  The  small  dealers  showed  me  innumer- 
able kindnesses  when  I made  my  rounds  among  them, 
but  carrying  three  or  four  dozen  brooms  on  every 
journey  at  the  outset  was  a strain  upon  vital  ener- 
gies, never  truly  robust,  which  could  have  but  one 
ending.  Month  after  month  that  weary  winter  passed 
away,  and  the  same  number  of  brooms  seemed  heavier 
every  time  I started.  One  day,  when  I should  have 
gone  the  rounds  as  usual,  a kind  of  vertigo  seized 
me,  and  I fell  to  the  ground,  as  weak  as  a child.  It 
Was  now  warm  weather  once  more,  and  my  continu- 
ous labor,  never  less  than  fifteen  hours  per  day,  under 


238 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


loads,  sometimes,  that  would  have  tried  the  strength 
of  a mule,  had  told  on  my  constitution  just  as  might 
have  been  expected.  For  five  weeks  I was  unable 
to  move  from  my  bed,  and  Dr.  Metcalf,  the  gentle- 
man to  whom  I am  indebted  for  medical  attendance, 
one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  profession  in  St.  Louis, 
was  astonished  to  find  my  system  rallying  so  soon. 
For  some  time  before  I was  actually  lorostrated,  the 
doctor  had  noticed  the  inroads  of  fatigue  and  disease 
upon  me,  and,  out  of  the  largeness  of  his  heart,  had 
called  repeatedly  at  the  workshop,  ostensibly  to  ob- 
serve me  at  my  work,  and  witness  my  processes  of 
manipulation,  but  really  because  he  looked  for  a much 
more  serious  fit  of  sickness  to  supervene  much  earlier. 
Helpless  upon  my  bed  for  five  weeks,  I pondered, 
feebly,  at  first,  and  later  with  more  energy,  the  many 
problems  of  life  which  had  been  suggested  by  my 
own  career;  but  all  my  speculations  ended,  somehow, 
every  time  in  the  practical  question,  “ How  could 
preparation  be  made  for  the  new  life  that  must  soon 
be  added  to  our  household?”  Clearly  we  could  do 
nothing  in  St.  Louis,  enfeebled,  as  we  were,  by  over- 
work and  anxiety.  Dr.  Metcalf  said,  “ Go  North;  it 
is  your  only  chance.  A summer  here  will  kill  you.” 
The  battle  had  been  fought  to  its  bitter  end,  and  the 
Association  had  badly  beaten  the  blind  broom-maker. 
Perhaps  in  my  extremity,  and  seeing  the  end  of  their 
machinations,  the  conquerors  would  treat  their  fallen 
foe  with  magnanimity.  Thiers  and  some  of  his  col- 
leagues entertained  some  such  hope  as  to  Bismarck, 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


239 


when  beleaguered  and  starving  Paris  was  compelled 
to  ask  for  terms  of  capitulation.  Comparing  small 
things  with  great,  there  were  some  elements  of  simi- 
larity in  the  two  cases.  The  conquerors,  small  as 
well  as  great,  were  alike  merciless.  The  wolf  might  as 
well  have  been  asked  to  show  compassion  to  Red 
Rkli-'Vg.  Hood.  Reduced  almost  to  a skeleton,  with 
hardly  strength  enough  to  crawl,  I went  to  the  men 
who  had  caused  my  misfortunes  and  asked  them  to 
close  me  out  on  their  own  terms.  With  much 
solicitation  on  my  part  they  consented  to  do  so,  on 
conditions  which  left  me  nothing  for  my  labor  as  broom- 
maker  and  as  mule,  for  the  three  months  preceding, 
my  fit  of  sickness,  and,  poor  as  we  were  when  we 
stayed  our  first  night  in  the  Planters’  House,  we 
were  wealthy  at  that  time  by  comparison  with  the 
dire  poverty  into  which  we  were  plunged  when  we 
engaged  our  passage  on  the  steamboat  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  giving  our  furniture  as  security  for  ultimate 
payment.  We  were  in  an  incomparably  worse  case 
than  we  had  been  in  October,  1871,  when  we  landed 
in  St.  Louis  from  the  smoke  and  lurid  din  of  the 
Chicago  fire.  Then  we  had  money  in  our  pockets 
enough  to  pay  for  food  and  shelter,  and  our  effects,  few 
though  they  were,  were  unincumbered;  but  above 
all  that  and  far  beyond  it  in  genuine  importance, 
my  health  and  strength  were  unimpaired,  so  that 
any  task  seemed  possible.  Carrying  a stiff  upper 
lip,  which  had  been  my  prescription  in  many  troubles, 
was  almost  too  great  a strain  on  my  emaciated  body; 


240 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


and  but  for  the  necessity  which  my  wife  realized 
to  sustain  me  with  her  courage,  I believe  she  would 
have  broken  down  altogether,  while  we  were  saying 
good-by  to  our  few  friends,  almost  as  poor  as  our- 
selves. I don’t  know  whether  the  “Ratteners” 
maintain  their  Broom  Association  still  in  St.  Louis, 
but  I suppose  they  do,  and  I hope  most  sincerely 
that  this  chapter  passing  under  their  notice  may 
awaken  in  their  'minds  a salutary  compunction  for 
their  abhorrent  practices,  which  involve  in  the  spirit 
of  their  action  both  robbery  and  murder.  Shy  lock 
uttered  an  unquestionable  truth  when,  pleading  for 
restitution  of  his  escheated  fortune,  he  said  to  the 
court,  which  had  been  won  by  the  beauty,  eloquence 
and  wit  of  Poi'tia : 

“You  take  my  house  when  jou  do  take  the  prop 
That  doth  sustain  my  house;  you  take  my  life 
When  vou  do  take  the  means  whereby  I live.” 

“ Rattening  ” antagonises  the  free  institutions  under 
which  life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  are 
recognized  as  the  inalienable  rights  of  every  human 
being;  and  there  should  be  some  way  of  bringing 
conspirators  to  justice  when  they  say  to  any  man  by 
word  and  deed,  “ we  will  compel  you  to  abandon 
your  pursuit  of  a livelihood,  or  we  will  worry  you 
into  the  grave.”  Monopolies  are  hateful  in  every 
land,  but  they  are  specially  detestable  in  the  home 
of  liberty.  Striking  through  the  lives  of  men  like 
myself,  they  aim  at  the  spoliation  of  the  community 
by  rendering  honest  and  legitimate  competition  im- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  241 

possible.  The  immediate  means  used  for  my  re- 
moval was  a reduction  in  price  below  living  rates, 
but  in  the  natural  order  of  things,  as  soon  as  they 
had  destroyed  my  feeble  chance,  they  taxed  the  public 
by  advancing  their  prices  until  they  had  obtained 
full  satisfaction  for  the  temporary  abatement.  In 
England  in  the  days  of  the  great  Queen  Elizabeth 
the  Londoners  mobbed  Her  Majesty’s  carriage  on  her 
way  to  Parliament  because  she  had  granted  monop- 
olies which  were  oppressive  to  the  people.  In 
Paris  during  the  revolution  of  1789,  which  began 
with  the  pinch  of  hunger  and  bread  riots,  the  suf- 
ferers in  the  streets,  failing  satisfaction  through  their 
remonstrances,  hanged  and  beheaded  monopolists  and 
tyrants  as  warnings  to  others  of  their  class.  “ Let 
the  people  eat  grass,”  said  one  of  the  horde  of 
monopolists  who  had  amassed  enormous  wealth  by 
handling  the  taxes,  squeezing  from  the  people  a 
hundred  dollars  to  give  twenty  to  the  treasury;  and  his 
brutal  saying  was  borne  in  mind  by  the  desperate 
populace  until  the  day  of  vengeance  arrived.  They 
had  literally  fed  their  families  and  themselves  upon 
nettles  and  weeds  as  long  as  a green  thing  could 
be  gathered,  their  oppressors  meantime  outraging 
the  decencies  of  life  by  ostentatious  extravagance, 
and  when  famine,  bursting  all  bounds,  drove  the  sans 
culottes  from  attics,  cellars  and  hovels,  out  into  the 
streets  to  seek  revenge,  they  slaughtered  their  profane 
reviler  as  he  was  trying  to  escape  from  the  city, 

and  made  his  head  their  football,  having  first  filled 
16 


242  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

his  mouth  with  grass.  Monopolists  will  not  have  it 
always  their  own  way  in  this  country.  It  is  sub- 
lime to  suffer  and  be  strong,  but  the  strength  must 
earlier  or  later  mean  demolition  of  the  cause  of 
suffering,  if  men  are  true  to  their  nature  and  their 
responsibilities.  Humanity  has  duties  which  are  in- 
consistent with  the  endurance  of  tyranny  beyond 
limits,  which  are  happily  narrowing  every  day,  and 
it  is  well  for  the  race,  for  our  children,  and  for  theirs 
in  the  near  future,  if  not  for  us,  that  society  will 
not  permit  the  continuance  of  the  spectacle  of 
“Truth  forever  on  the  scaffold,  Wrong  forever  on  the  throne.” 


i 


CHAPTER  VI. 


“ Let  not  him  that  girdeth  on  his  harness  boast  himself  as  he  that 
putteth  it  off.” — I.  Kings,  xx.,  n. 

‘‘Canstthou  bind  the  sweet  influences  of  Pleiades,  or  loose  the 
bands  of  Orion?” — Job  xxxviii.,  31. 

Arrived  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  my  furniture  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  steamboat  company  until  it  could 
be  redeemed,  and  we  took  the  cars  for  Egerton  our- 
selves, C.  O.  D.  In  that  little  town  there  were  many 
friends  upon  whose  intervention  we  could  reckon  with 
certainty,  and  our  confidence  was  justified.  We  were 
conveyed  to  Oakland ; but,  conscious  of  the  very  poor 
figure  that  we  must  cut  on  the  farm  if  we  went 
there  after  so  many  times  declining  the  shelter  that 
was  proffered,  I determined  to  rent  a little  cottage  of 
which  I knew,  and  to  keep  expenses  at  a minimum 
until  I could  recuperate.  My  friend,  O.  S.  Loo, 
whose  name  I have  several  times  been  on  the  point 
of  mentioning  earlier  in  this  little  volume,  sent  the 
money  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  my  furniture  was 
soon  afterward  brought  by  return  wagons  from 
Egerton.  There  is  no  man  living  who  has  had  more 
cause  to  be  thankful  for  friends  than  myself;  they 
have  been  raised  up  on  every  hand  — not  in  the  sun- 
shine, where  friends  are  supposed  to  abound,  but  in 
the  very  blackness  of  the  storm.  It  is  a satisfaction 


243 


244 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


to  myself  to  record  their  names  occasionally,  but  usu- 
ally, when  an  injury  has  been  inflicted  upon  me,  1 
leave  the  names  of  the  unfriends  unwritten.  My 
strength  did  not  come  very  rapidly,  although  every- 
thing that  could  be  done  for  me  was  accomplished 
by  my  friends,  many  of  whom  might  have  said,  with 
Job,  “I  was  eyes  to  the  blind,  and  feet  was  I to 
the  lame.”  Three  weeks  after  we  entered  on  cot- 
tage life,  our  first  boy  was  born,  in  June,  1872,  but 
his  troubled  career  ended  in  a few  days  — the  nat- 
ural result  of  his  mother’s  terrible  anxieties  and  suf- 
ferings. Over  exerting  herself  in  that  fearful  time, 
struggling  beyond  her  strength  to  save  the  boy,  my 
wife  fell  sick,  and  for  fully  six  months  it  seemed  im- 
possible she  could  ever  rally.  For  all  thet  time  it 
was  impossible  for  me  to  earn  one  cent;  my  attend- 
ance in  the  sick  chamber  was  an  imperative  duty,  al- 
though my  mother  gave  all  the  attention  in  her 
power,  and  our  nearest  neighbors,  Mr.  Ambrose  Hall 
and  his  wife  and  family,  never  slighted  an  appeal. 
Among  tried  friends  as  we  were,  the  monetary 
trouble  was  the  smallest  item  in  our  calculation,  as, 
when,  my  powers  were  renewed,  I could  soon  erase 
every  pecuniary  obligation;  but  during  that  time  of 
affliction,  it  was  an  awful  tax  upon  our  strength  and 
patience  to  travel  six  miles  to  the  nearest  drugstore, 
and  nine  miles  to  the  railroad  station.  One  day  in 
July,  the  weather  being  fearfully  warm,  my  wife  suf- 
fered a relapse,  about  midday,  when  none  of  the 
neighbors  nor  their  teams  were  on  hand,  and  I 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


245 


started  for  the  drugstore  afoot,  running  when  my 
lungs  and  my  limbs  would  permit,  and  then  falling 
into  a rapid  walk,  to  rest  and  prepare  for  another 
burst  of  speed.  I had  traveled  the  road  so  often 
that  I knew  every  foot  of  the  way,  and  my  ears 
would  warn  me  of  the  approach  of  a vehicle.  It 
was  not  like  wandering  around  in  a city,  where  side- 
walks yawn  for  our  destruction;  there  were  no  unu- 
sual excavations  nor  obstructions  to  be  dreaded.  I re- 
member reaching  the  drugstore,  a distance  of  six 
miles,  in  little  more  than  an  hour,  and  I hoped  to  re- 
turn in  about  ninety  minutes,  as  I wanted  to  husband 
my  energies.  There  was  no  chance  for  a lift  on  the 
road,  and  the  sun  was  beating  down  upon  me  as  I 
hastened  on,  until  I lost  consciousness  completely,  and 
for  four  hours,  as  nearly  as  I can  estimate,  I must 
have  lain  there  on  the  hot  road,  hatless,  for  my  head 
covering  rolled  away  as  I fell,  and,  when  I tried  to 
move  after  my  swoon,  my  limbs  and  body  were 
powerless  and  cold  as  ice.  With  the  return  of  con- 
sciousness I slowly  realized  the  situation.  The  first 
thought  was  the  object  of  my  journey,  the  medicine, 
and,  to  my  joy,  the  tiny  parcel  was  clutched  in  the 
palm  of  my  hand.  Exercising  all  my  will  power, 
which  used  to  be  considerable,  I managed  to  rise  to 
my  hands  and  knees,  and  felt  around  for  some  land- 
mark that  would  tell  me  where  I was,  and  what 
direction  I mus't  pursue  to  reach  home.  In  that 
search  I found  my  hat,  and,  with  much  difficulty, 
succeeded  in  replacing  it  on  my  head.  When  means 


246  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

were  at  last  discovered  to  determine  the  locality  in 
which  I had  fallen,  I ascertained  that  I was  more 
than  two  miles  from  home,  and  half  a mile  from 
the  nearest  house.  That  struggle  to  reach  Mr.  Stew- 
art’s dwelling  was  the  most  agonizing  effort  of  my 
life.  With  tremendous  exertion  I could  crawl  only 
a few  yards  without  pausing  to  rest,  and  twice,  when 
I tried  to  push  on  regardless  of  the  sense  of  weari- 
ness, I fell,  and  remained  prone  on  the  earth  for 
many  minutes.  Antaeus-like,  I found  myself  strength- 
ened by  contact  with  mother  earth,  but  my  absorbing 
dread  was  another  loss  of  consciousness,  which  might 
extend  into  the  night,  and  in  the  darkness  some  wagon 
returning  from  Egerton  might  end  my  life.  Fully 
two  hours  of  intermittent  effort,  all  that  my  enfeebled 
condition  could  accomplish,  were  consumed  in  crawl- 
ing to  Mr,  Stewart’s  door,  and  then  I had  not  the 
vigor  to  summon  assistance  by  knocking  until  after 
several  minutes’  rest.  Luckily  for  me,  Mr.  Stewart 
had  seen  many  cases  of  sunstroke,  and  he  proceeded, 
secundem  artem . Before  anything  was  done  for  me 
personally,  a messenger  was  dispatched  to  Ambrose 
Hall’s  cottage  with  the  requisite  medicine  for  my 
wife,  and  then  I resigned  myself  to  treatment.  I 
drank  whiskey,  glass  after  glass,  thinking  it  only 
water,  but  the  icy  coldness  was  not  broken  for 
nearly  half  an  hour.  Then  a profuse  perspiration  fol- 
lowed, and  I was  comforted  with  the  assurance  that 
the  worst  had  passed.  Far  on  in  the  evening  I was 
conveyed  home  in  Mr.  Stewart’s  buggy,  and  there 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


247 


were  two  invalids  in  the  house,  neither  capable  of 
properly  assisting  the  other. 

I was  not  absolutely  prostrated,  as  I had  been 
after  my  attack  of  vertigo  in  St.  Louis,  but  I was 
almost  powerless  for  several  days,  and  sleepless 
nights  became  the  rule  for  months.  There  was  a 
feeling  of  dullness  in  my  head  more  intolerable  than 
occasional  acute  pains,  and  from  the  time  of  my 
first  sunstroke  until  this  hour  there  has  ceased  to 
be  that  elasticity  in  my  nerve  fiber  of  which  I had 
been  more  and  less  conscious  until  that  attack.  Dis- 
asters then  ceased  to  follow  us  for  a time;  the 
neighbors  divided  the  responsibility  of  caring  for  us 
until  I could  be  about  as  usual.  The  Sernsons* 
the  Halls,  Mr.  Loo  and  other  neighbors  near  at 
hand,  never  omitted  an  opportunity  to  make  us  feel 
that  we  were  among  friends  whose  tender  regards 
never  ceased.  In  November,  1872,  my  health  was 
sufficiently  established  to  permit  of  my  starting 
business  afresh,  and  although  my  wife  was  not 
strong,  her  condition  admitted  of  removal  from  Oak- 
land. We  found  suitable  premises  readily  in  Fort 
Atkinson,  and,  materials  for  broom  making  being 
abundant,  our  indebtedness  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  was  but  a bagatelle.  People  to  whom  we 
owed  small  sums  brought  broom-corn  to  be  made 
up,  and  with  the  sounds  of  the  old  industry  once 
more  filling  our  home  my  strength  increased  apace, 
although  the  rule  of  eight  hours’  labor,  eight  hours’ 
recreation,  and  eight  hours’  rest  had  to  be  lost  sight 


248 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of:  We  could  purchase  all  the  materials  we  wanted 
on  time,  and  some  of  the  farmers  employed  me'  to 
manufacture  on  shares,  so  that,  until  the  whole  of  the 
broom-corn  within  reach  had  been  made  up  and 
sold,  we  thought  ourselves  in  clover.  By  that  time 
we  were  nearly  out  of  debt,  and  we  had  a good 
reputation  for  making  and  handling  first-class  brooms, 
which  made  it  easy  to  make  arrangements  with  the 
proprietors  of  a large  factory  in  Milwaukee  to  sell 
their  brooms  on  commission.  I had  the  pick  of 
their  stock  all  the  time,  and,  having  a prudent  re- 
gard for  the  value  of  my  name,  I would  not  sell 
an  inferior  article.  My  earnings  were  sufficiently 
liberal  to  leave  a margin  after  all  our  little  liabil- 
ities had  been  paid,  for  my  wife  was  an  excellent 
manager,  knowing  exactly  how  to  make  every  dollar 
do  its  best.  In  the  summer  of  1873  I was  again 
smitten  down  by  sunstroke,  and  was  sick  until  the 
fall  of  that  year,  consuming  all  my  wife’s  savings, 
but  that  year  we  kept  clear  of  debt.  As  soon  as 
my  strength  returned,  my  old  employers  were  glad 
to  have  me  resume  my  sales,  so  I was  once  more 
on  the  road  in  the  fall  of  1873,  continuing  my  sales 
with  much  profit  until  the  following  summer.  A 
third  sunstroke  in  1874  warned  me  by  its  increasing 
severity  that  I could  not  travel  during  the  heated 
term;  and  I have  been  told  that  but  for  a blood- 
vessel having  burst  in  my  brain,  that  third  prostra- 
tion under  coup  de  soleil  must  have  proved  fatal. 
The  hemorrhage  from  my  nose  and  ears  was  copi- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


249 


ous  and  long  continued,  and  the  marvelous  stories 
that  were  told  me  as  to  the  amount  of  the  dis- 
charge can  only  be  accounted  for  on  the  principle  * 
that  persons  who  are  unaccustomed  to  the  sight  of 
blood  lose  their  wits  in  its  presence,  and  uncon- 
sciously fall  into  habits  of  exaggeration.  By  the 
fall  of  the  year,  as  usual,  my  health  was  renewed, 
and  my  sales  went  on  briskly,  because  nearly  all 
over  my  district  the  storekeepers  and  merchants, 
knowing  my  ways  and  the  times  at  which  I might 
be  looked  for,  kept  their  orders  open  until  my 
visit. 

That  winter  a very  curious  incident  transpired  in 
the  town  or  city  of  Rockford,  which  was  one  of 
the  places  where  I could  always  reckon  on  good 
orders.  I was  sitting  down  to  dinner,  when  I be- 
came conscious  that  a person  sitting  opposite  me 
on  the  other  side  of  the  table  was  regarding  me 
with  a fixed  stare.  It  would  be  impossible  for  me 
to  say  why  it  is  so,  but  I can  always  tell  when  I 
am  being  stared  at,  although  no  word  may  be  said. 
From  remarks  made  by  others  I knew  that  the  per- 
son staring  at  me  was  of  the  other  sex,  and  from 
my  own  sensation  I knew  well  that  she  scarcely  re- 
moved her  gaze  from  me  during  the  time  we  sat  at 
the  table.  I am  so  old  as  to  have  outgrown  boyish 
vanities,  or  I might  have  been  foolish  enough  to  im- 
agine this  a case  of  “ inadvertent  fascination,”  such  as 
old  Tony  Weller , the  father  of  Samivel , delighted  to 
expatiate  upon,  when  cautioning  his  son  to  beware 


250 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  a widow.  My  diagnosis  of  the  case  was  that  the 
lady  did  not  think  me  absolutely  blind,  and  was  try- 
ing to  settle  to  her  own  satisfaction  why  I pre- 
tended blindness,  and  how  the  deception  was  main- 
tained. My  colored  spectacles  cover  that  portion 
of  my  face  so  entirely  that  I am  not  surprised 
when  people  assume  that  my  defect  of  vision  is 
only  partial.  As  soon  as  I rose  from  table  and 
went  into  the  office,  I asked  mine  host  who  was 
the  lady  who  sat  opposite  me  at  dinner,  and  what 
was  her  occupation.  She  was  a fashionable  for- 
tune teller  who  made  her  rounds  regularly  at  cer- 
tain seasons  of  the  year,  to  enlighten  a very  num- 
erous class  in  every  community  as  to  the  past  and 
future.  It  was  of  course  very  natural  for  her 
to  believe  every  man  an  impostor  or  an  ass  or  an 
amalgam  of  both  qualities,  which  might  be  used 
with  advantage.  No  wonder  she  wanted  to  deci- 
pher my  disguise  and  my  reasons  for  resorting 
to  deception.  Talleyrand,  the  diplomatist  par  excel- 
lence, cut  away  the  underpinning  from  an  adept  in 
the  arts  of  diplomacy  by  frankly  telling  him  the 
points  he  wished  to  gain  in  the  business  on  which 
they  were  engaged.  Human  life  abounds  in  evi- 
dence of  the  truth  which  Butler  asserted  in  Hudibras : 

“ Doubtless  the  pleasure  is  as  great 

In  being  cheated  as  to  cheat.” 

Having  ascertained  who  and  what  the  lady  was, 
my  interest  in  the  matter  died  out.  She  was  a well 
known  professional,  her  name  was  quite  familiar, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  251 

her  facilities  in  telling  the  secrets  of  the  past  and 
unrolling  the  mysterious  scroll  of  the  future  had 
often  been  instanced  in  my  hearing,  and  it  was  per- 
haps an  honor  to  be  stared  at  by  one  who  had  made 
so  many  stare.  Changing  the  subject,  I asked  the 
landlord  if  there  was  any  boy  around  that  would 
earn  a quarter  by  leading  me  to  the  postoffice  and 
back  during  my  stay.  There  was  a boy  then  in 
the  office,  the  son  of  the  fortune  teller,  he  said, 
who  would  do  all  that  I wished  in  that  way  for 
less  money,  as  his  time  hung  heavy  on  his  hands. 
As  we  walked  toward  the  office  where  I went  for 
my  letters,  the  boy  told  me  all  the  story  of  his 
life,  and  it  was  a tale  that  might  have  been  converted 
into  gold  in  one  of  our  sparkling  serials.  His  father, 
a man  in  high  repute  in  Auburn,  New  York,  had 
been  dead  six  years,  and  the  bewitching  widow, 
caught  by  the  shows  and  pretenses  of  a dashing  dis- 
ciple of  Count  Cagliostro,  who  spent  money  with 
a lavish  hand,  bestowed  upon  him  her  affections, 
her  hand,  and  what  he  cared  most  for,  perhaps, 
her  fortune.  The  stepfather  was  not  nearly  so  kind 
to  the  boy  as  the  lover  had  been,  and  the  mother 
was  gradually  estranged  from  the  truant  husband 
on  that  account.  His  main  dependence  was  fortune- 
telling by  interpreting  dreams,  by  cards,  by  palm- 
istry ; indeed,  he  was  an  adept  in  all  the  tricks  of 
divination,  and  by  the  time  her  money  had  disap- 
peared almost  entirely,  she  had  descended  to  his 
level  in  morals,  or  so  nearly  that  she  had  no  com- 


252 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


punction  about  embracing  the  profession,  while  cutting 
adrift  from  the  professor.  The  boy  said  but  a few 
words,  and  had  no  idea  that  in  doing  so  he  revealed 
the  mystery  of  his  mother’s  career,  but  two  or 
three  names  and  incidents  supplied  all  the  links 
that  were  necessary  to  fit  it  with  a budget  of  facts 
that  had  fallen  in  my  way  some  months  before, 
and  the  whole  chain  of  causation  was  made  clear. 
The  stepfather  was  then  in  California,  coining 
loney  in  a leading  theater,  as  a Wizard  of  the 
jJ^ast,  or  of  some  other  cardinal  point,  but  spending 
it  just  as  rapidly  as  it  came,  while  the  wife  won  a 
liberal  competency  by  manipulating  one  branch  of  his 
many  tricks.  The  boy  did  not  want  his  mother 
to  know  that  he  employed  his  leisure  in  my  serv- 
ice, and  for  my  part  it  was  in  the  last  degree 
unlikely  that  I should  ever  exchange  words  with 
that  lady.  At  the  postoffice,  having  taken  good 
heed  as  to  my  course,  so  that  I could  return  unat- 
tended - from  that  point,  and  having  a few  business 
calls  to  make,  I relieved  the  boy  from  duty,  and 
was  soon  doing  a land-office  business  in  brooms, 
which  was  only  concluded  in  time  for  supper.  At 
supper  I was  conscious  of  the  same  fixed  regard 
as  had  been  experienced  at  the  dinner  table,  but 
not  quite  so  persistent;  and  when  I was  on  my 
way  to  my  room  soon  afterward,  I was  met  at  the 
head  of  the  stairs  by  the  fair  necromancer,  who 
wished  to  know  if  I had  no  curiosity  as  to  the 
future.  Intending  only  to  play  the  game  of  bluff, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  253 

I replied  that  I knew  quite  as  much  about  the  past 
and  the  future  as  she  did.  That  answer  impressed 

Madame  with  the  idea  that  I was  in  the 

same  profession,  and  she  suggested  a conference,  in 
which  we  should  each  tell  the  other  the  past  and 

the  future.  Seeing  at  a glance  how  excellent  was 
my  opportunity,  I assented  to  the  proposal,  and 
when  she  politely  offered  me  precedence  I went 

through  a mummery  of  incantation  extemporized 
for  that  occasion  only,  as  they  say  in  the  theaters, 

regardless  of  expense,  and  then  went  on  to  tell 
her  in  brief,  and  in  a fragmentary  way,  her  maiden 
name,  her  first  husband’s  name,  the  name  she  then 
should  bear  by  virtue  of  her  second  marriage,  the 
fortune  she  had  allowed  to  be  squandered,  and 
some  other  items  which  she  thought  nobody  could 
recount  unless  inspired  by  Mephistopheles  himself. 
The  woman  practiced  in  the  arts  of  deception  was 
utterly  deceived  by  my  ruse,  and  when  I challenged 
her  to  show  her  skill  in  my  case  by  a similar  reve- 
lation, she  fairly  wilted.  I could  not  reveal  my 
source  of  inspiration  without  compromising  the  boy, 
which  of  course  was  out  of  the  question.  So  my 
skill  as  a mind-reader,  or  diviner,  was  established 
at  a bound.  I was  urged  by  the  successful  fortune- 
teller to  join  her  in  the  profession,  with  a guarantee, 
of  twenty  dollars  per  day,  but  of  course  I declined 
to  obtain  money  under  false  pretenses,  and  besides 
there  was  no  certainty  that  I could  always  find  the 
right  boy  to  pump  me  full  of  the  facts  to  meet  the 


254 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


case  immediately  before  the  dupes  came  to  be 
manipulated. 

The  fortune  teller  in  the  nineteenth  century  is  just 
as  full  of  superstition  and  ignorance  as  was  his  pre- 
decessor three  centuries  ago,  and  is,  therefore,  just  as 
easily  sold.  The  notorious  Dr.  Dee,  alchemist  and 
astrologer  in  the  reign  of  good  Queen  Bess,  when 
Virginia  was  first  named  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
had  the  temerity  to  send  to  the  queen  an  old  cop- 
per warming-pan,  from  which  a piece  had  been  cut, 
and  a piece  of  gold  corresponding  with  the  excision, 
as  a proof  that  he  had  transmuted  copper  into  the 
more  precious  metal.  The  wary  daughter  of  Henry 
VIII.  and  Anne  Boleyn  appropriated  the  gold  for 
all  that  it  was  worth  ; but,  when  Dee  asked  a re- 
ward for  his  discovery,  she  sent  him  an  empty  purse, 
with  the  message  that  a man  who  could  change  all 
the  metals  into  gold  wanted  nothing  from  his  sov- 
ereign but  a purse  in  which  to  carry  his  wealth.  Dee 
drew  from  the  wealthier  classes  in  Europe  enormous 
sums  of  money  by  exhibiting  a black  crystal,  proba- 
bly a piece  of  cannel  coal,  well  rounded  and  polished, 
in  which  he  pretended  to  read  all  things  that  ever 
had  been  or  ever  should  be,  for  every  victim  that 
was  willing  to  pay  for  the  imposition  ; and  at  last 
the  hoary-headed  fraud  became  so  completely  a be- 
liever in  that  piece  of  coal  and  its  pretended  revela- 
tions that,  under  the  management  of  a scoundrel  col- 
league of  his,  he  was  induced  to  part  with  his  house, 
his  money,  and  his  young  wife,  to  his  villainous  part- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


255 


ner,  and  so  ended  his  days  in  absolute  want.  I don’t 
say  there  is  no  power  in  incantations,  and  there  never 
has  been,  because  the  story  of  the  Witch  of  Endor 
calling  up  Samuel  at  the  demand  of  Saul  rises  be- 
fore me;  but  I must  say,  for  my  own  part,  that 

Madame  , the  fortune-teller,  who  was  so  easily 

fooled  by  my  clumsy  pretense  at  divining,  was  as 
good  a witch  as  any  that  I have  seen.  It  is  not 
easy  to  understand  why  ladies  well  educated  and  re- 
fined, conversant  with  ancient  lore  and  modern  sci- 
ence, and  accustomed,  in  their  daily  intercourse,  to 
discriminate  against  ignorance  and  vain  pretenses, 
should  be  able  and  willing  to  listen  with  patience — 
not  to  say  pleasure — to  the  charlatanry  of  the  com- 
mon fortune-teller,  who  is,  for  the  most  part,  an  ig- 
noramus as  well  as  a fraud.  During  the  remainder 
of  my  stay  in  Rockford  I was  treated  with  marked 
respect  by  Madame  , as  a being  possessed  of  su- 

pernatural gifts;  .and  when,  at  the  time  of  my  leav- 
ing for  fresh  woods  and  pastures  new,  I finally  de- 
clined the  offer  to  enter  on  fortune-telling  as  a pro- 
fession, I was  urgently  requested  to  retain  her  ad- 
dress in  my  pocketbook,  so  that  if  ever  I changed 
my  mind  in  that  particular  she  might  be  allowed  the 
opportunity  to  bring  me  out,  for  our  mutual  advan- 
tage. 

In  the  spring  of  1875  it  was  my  misfortune  to  fall 
through  an  unguarded  opening  in  a sidewalk,  and  the 
awkwardness  of  my  descent  dislocated  my  ankle,  ab- 
solutely wrenching  it,  so  that  I suffered  excruciating 


256  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

pain,  and  was  disabled  from  following  my  avocation 
until  far  on  in  the  fall.  Even  then  my  ankle  was  so 
weak  that  walking  was  a slow  and  painful  process, 
and  much  to  my  sorrow,  I was  forced  to  abandon 
the  occupation  of  traveling  agent  for  the  Milwaukee 
factory.  To  provide  a conveyance  and  driver  in 
every  town  I visited  would  have  swallowed  all  my 
margins,  and  of  course  the  occupation  was  useless 
to  me  if  it  would  not  supply  bread  for  my  family. 
The  word  family  reminds  me  to  mention  that  our 
little  girl  was  born  in  November,  1875;  and,  inas- 
much as  she  was  a very  feeble  child,  the  doctor  in 
attendance  upon  my  wife  recommended  our  removal 
into  the  country,  as  the  less  salubrious  air  of  the  town 
in  which  we  lived  gave  little  chance  of  her  survival. 
Just  at  that  time  it  became  necessary  to  find  a new 
occupation,  and,  upon  our  removal  from  Milwaukee,  I 
purchased  a Yankee-notion  wagon,  with  which  I could 
have  prospered  very  well  indeed  if  my  capital  had 
been  large  enough  to  meet  the  wants  of  my  cus- 
tomers. My  life  was  very  pleasantly  passed,  and  the 
work  was  not  actually  laborious.  I could  lay  out  my 
day’s  work  with  tolerable  certainty,  and  soon  knew 
nearly  all  the  people  on  my  route  with  some  degree 
of  intimacy.  Ascertaining  on  one  journey  any  spe- 
cial requirements  that  could  be  supplied  on  my  next 
round,  1 exchanged  anything  that  could  be  sold  on 
that  occasion  for  farm  produce,  such  as  butter,  eggs, 
cheese,  or  dairy-fed  pork.  I often,  before  my  day’s 
work  was  ended,  had  sold  these  for  greenbacks,  at 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


257 


prices  that  paid  for  both  transactions.  My  bit  and 
sup  were  never  grudged  wherever  meal  time  or 
night  found  me,  and  there  was  always  a comfortable 
bed  at  my  disposal  after  the  evening’s  conversation 
came  to  an  end.  I would  not  ask  for  a more  de- 
lightful life  than  that  of  a notion  peddler  among  the 
grangers,  when  it  has  become  known  that  the  man 
means  to  treat  his  patrons  fairly,  and  understands  his 
business  well  enough  to  be  able  to  give  value  in  ex- 
change for  their  surplus.  The  grangers  are  the  salt 
of  the  earth  in  our  civilization,  and  but  for  their  in- 
fluence it  is  plainly  to  be  seen  that  this  country 
would  rapidly  fall  into  decay.  Pope  said,  “God 
made  the  country;  man  made  the  town;”  but  he 
was  only  half  right  in  his  statement.  The  town  is 
the  handiwork  of  the  Creator,  through  human  instru- 
mentality, and  the  handsome  marble  block  devoted  to 
commerce  and  manufactures  should  conduce  to  His 
glory  as  much  as  the  heavenward-pointing  spire  of 
the  church.  In  all  good  works,  whatever  the  ob- 
jects of  the  directors,  “ Paul  may  plant  and  Apollos 
water,  but  God  alone  can  give  the  increase.”  The 
fault  of  our  town  life  is  that  a horde  of  camp-fol- 
lowers, who  have  no  particular  callings,  live  a para- 
sitic existence,  just  escaping  the  conditions  which 
would  call  for  police  intervention,  and  make  them- 
selves indispensable  as  ward  bummers  in  the  local 
and  general  elections,  which  are  almost  always  in 
order.  They  run  the  primaries  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten,  are,  the  power  behind  the  throne  in  the  caucus, 


258 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


to  which  they  have  sent  representatives,  and  can 
often  use  their  might,  even  in  the  convention,  to  the 
detriment  of  the  better  elements  in  society.  In  the 
country  the  same  conditions  do  not  exist  in  the  same 
degree.  The  man  who  would  be  a ward  bummer 
in  the  city  has  no  foothold  in  the  cleaner  and  more 
wholesome  community,  or  his  attempts  are  discounted 
in  the  counsels  of  a more  leisurely  class,  which  has 
the  clear-sightedness  to  understand  that  the  govern- 
ment, in  their  State  capitol  and  in  Washington,  must 
be  precisely  what  they  make  it  by  conscientious 
labor,  or  by  disgraceful  connivance.  In  the  city  it 
is  one  of  the  rare  events  to  find  a merchant  prince 
or  man  of  established  character  in  any  walk  of 
life  brought  out  as  a candidate  for  office,  because 
such  desirable  persons  will  not  condescend,  by  their 
agents  or  otherwise,  to  woo  the  most  sweet  voices 
of  the  bummer  class.  Of  many  such  men  in  our 
great  cities  it  may  be  said  as  truly  as  Shakespeare 
wrote  the  lines  of  Coriolanus / 

“His  nature  is  too  noble  for  the  world: 

He  would  not  flatter  Neptune  for  his  trident, 

Or  Jove  for  his  power  to  thunder.” 

Precisely  for  that  reason  the  best  class  of  thinkers 
and  men  of  action  in  city  life  are  never  brought 
to  the  front  in  civic  rule,  and  are  seldom  seen  in 
our  Legislatures  or  in  Congress,  unless  some  excep- 
tional era  of  corruption  has  compelled  a crusade 
against  bummer  rule.  Republican  government,  in 
which  every  citizen  is  sovereign,  demands  active 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS.  259 

virtue  in  the  individual  participating  in  every  proc- 
ess in  the  election  of  men  to  fill  the  legislative 
and  executive  offices  of  the  commonwealth;  and 
it  is  precisely  because  those  conditions  of  social  and 
political  life  come  nearer  to  realization  in  the 
country  than  in  the  cities,  that  I pin  my  faith  to 
the  farmers.  I should  despair  of  popular  govern- 
ment if  it  depended  entirely  upon  dwellers  in  towns, 
although  the  urban  voter  is  generally  quite  as  well 
educated  and  as  well  informed  as  his  fellow-elector 
in  the  rural  districts;  but  the  difficulty  arises  from  the 
urgency  of  his  engagements,  which  will  not  allow 
him  to  participate  in  the  preliminary  exercises  which 
are  necessary  to  the  integrity  of  our  electoral  proc- 
ess; and  in  many  instances  men  have  become  so 
disgusted  with  the  ringboned  and  spavined  candi- 
dates nominated  on  behalf  of  their  party,  that  they 
have  refused  to  cast  a ballot.  I have  no  wish  to 
talk  politics  here  and  now;  that  would  be  out  of  place; 
but  at  the  same  time  I would  not  have  it  imagined 
for  one  moment  that  I have  lived  until  my  hair  is 
gray  without  forming  political  principles,  and  being 
ready  to  carry  them  into  practice.  The  neutral 
tinted  man,  to  whom  all  programmes  and  all  men  are 
alike,  is  not  a creature  that  I could  admire;  but  the 
noisy  zealot  that  carries  partisan  violence  into  every 
action  of  his  being  is  but  a little  better  than  a nuisance. 
This  book  is  not  meant  to  disseminate  the  views  of 
any  party  save  that  which  says,  “ Render  unto 
Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar’s,  and  unto  God 


260  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

the  things  that  are  God’s.”  We  have  no  autocrat 
to  rule  over  us;  that  deliverance  was  wrought  by 
the  founders  of  this  republic  more  than  one  hundred 
years  ago;  and  it  would  indeed  be  a shame  upon 
our  manhood  if  in  mere  supineness  we  should  allow 
the  duty  and  the  right  of  self-government  to  fall 
into  disuse.  Our  sons  should  iaherit  from  us  the 
rights  which  were  bequeathed  under  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  and  the  Constitution,  and  if  we 
should  some  day  grow  wise  enough  to  provide  in 
a thorough  and  efficient  way  for  the  rights  of  woman 
as  well  as  the  rights  of  man,  so  much  the  better; 
but  woe  to  the  nation  which  fails  to  broaden  the  base 
upon  which  the  liberties  of  civilized  man  may  some 
day  be  challenged  to  meet  the  advancing  forces  of 
barbarism,  which  have  always  hitherto  submerged 
learning,  arts  and  inventions,  when  the  people  have 
become  too  weak  or  too  listless  to  stand  up  in  their 
defense.  He  is  lacking  in  the  essentials  of  patriotism 
who  would  not  raise  his  voice  at  this  hour  to  de- 
nounce the  tendency  to  inaction  in  politics  and  morals 
which  is  spreading  around  us.  The  carefhl  discharge 
of  church  duties  in  every  relation  will  go  far  to- 
ward keeping  the  life  sweet  and  wholesome,  but 
we  are  and  must  be  of  the  world  as  well  as  of 
the  spirit;  and  Milton  was  quite  right  in  saying: 
“ I cannot  praise  a fugitive  and  cloistered  virtue, 
unexercised  and  unbreathed,  that  never  sallies  out  and 
seeks  her  adversary.”  The  training  of  the  church  and 
the  class-room  should  make  us  more  active,  because 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


261 


more  fully  alive  to  the  duties  of  citizenship.  I see 
no  reason  why  in  the  near  future  we  should  not 
have  a great  political  revival  in  our  community,  lift- 
ing the  body  politic  into  that  condition  which  was 
realized  by  the  little  aggregate  of  less  than  three 
million  souls,  which  sorrowfully  but  valiantly  bade 
defiance  to  the  richest  nation  in  Europe,  when,  as 
Emerson  has  sung: 

“The  embattled  farmers  stood, 

And  fired  the  shot  heard  round  the  world.” 

So  high  was  then  the  sense  of  responsibility  that 
men  of  worth  stood  out  from  every  condition,  not 
only  to  become  living  targets  for  veteran  soldiers, 
but  to  dare  the  possibilities  of  death  on  the  gallows, 
should  their  brave  efforts  fail,  for  having  taken  up 
arms  against  their  tyrant  sovereign.  When  Washing- 
ton and  his  fellow-soldiers  in  the  revolutionary 
armies  could  dare  so  much  for  a nation  only  in  the 
gristle,  which  could  offer  only  few  rewards  to  bravery, 
and  within  its  boundaries  possessed  little  beyond  the 
possibilities  which  we  are  making  tangible,  what 
is  there  that  we  should  not  do  for  that  nation  now 
in  its  young  prime,  with  her  flag  respected  on  all 
seas  and  in  every  country,  her  credit  unquestioned 
in  every  mart,  her  words  of  counsel  and  remon- 
strance heeded  in  every  cabinet,  her  alliance  sought 
by  every  government,  her  commerce  a prize  for  a 
world’s  ambition,  her  protection  a target  against  the 
designs  of  tyranny,  her  literature  worth  to  have 
descended  from  Chaucer,  Spenser  and  Shakespeare, 


262  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS* 

and  her  free  religion  untrammeled  by  one  tie  of  State 
control,  such  as  every  man  may  find  for  himself  in 
the  language  and  the  life  of  our  Redeemer? 

I find  that,  talking  about  the  duties  of  citizenship,  I 
have  wandered  away  from  my  friends,  the  grangers, 
so  I must  return  to  them  and  to  my  wagon  loaded 
with  Yankee  notions.  Loaded!  Well,  not  loaded, 
exactly;  that  was  my  trouble.  If  that  wagon  had 
really  been  loaded  I might  not  now  have  found 
myself  writing  a book.  My  capital  was  too  small 
to  allow  me  to  carry  a full  stock.  Sunstrokes, 
falling  through  sidewalks,  buying  new  materials 
when  I should  have  closed  out  my  stocks;  blunder- 
ing or  being  blundered  for,  or  swindled  in  business; 
being  beaten  without  mercy  or  justice  by  that 
“Rattening”  Association  in  St.  Louis,  and  other 
such  incidents  which  defy  recapitulation,  had  made 
it  difficult  at  times  even  to  live,  and  impossible  to 
save  such  an  amount  of  capital  as  would  carry  a 
full  stock  of  Yankee  notions,  maintain  my  family 
and  myself,  pay  my  driver-assistant,  without  whom 
I could  not  travel ; feed  my  horse,  and  keep  my 
wagon  in  going  order.  I was  compelled  to  make 
another  change,  and  a chance  occurred  to  utilize 
my  old  associations.  I have  mentioned  elsewhere 
that  oftentimes  on  my  rounds  when  I was  in  busi 
ness  in  La  Crosse,  my  attention  was  invited  to  the 
claims  of  rival  instruments  which  had  been  offered 
for  sale  among  my  friends.  My  musical  ear  having 
been  partially  educated,  I found  much  pleasure  in 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  268 

using  my  semi-efficiency  in  the  manner  suggested, 
and  by  dint  of  much  practice  as  an  amateur,  I 
found  my  powers  of  discrimination  largely  increased. 
I traveled  now  regularly  selling  organs  and  pianos, 
and  the  doors  that  were  opened  to  me  as  a peddler 
of  notions  were  not  closed  when  I came  in  another 
calling  which  brought  harmony  to  many  homes. 
In  this  line  but  little  capital  was  demanded,  and  I 
was  able  to  spend  more  time  at  home  with  my 
family.  Naturally  domestic,  it  was  a joy  to  me 
beyond  what  many  fathers  realize,  to  hold  my  little 
girl  upon  my  knee  and  amuse  her  with  tales  of 
what  I had  met  with  in  my  travels,  and  then  when 
my  tongue  was  fairly  going  there  were  more  than 
a few  comical  incidents  which  it  seemed  as  though 
my  wife  would  never  tire  of  hearing.  Once,  when 
on  my  travels  in  Michigan  I was  going  to  Battle 
Creek,  some  friends  told  me  to  let  myself  be  intro- 
duced to  a gentleman  named  Joy,  a lawyer  in 
practice  in  Battle  Creek,  and  let  him  tell  me  his 
story.  Fearful  that  it  might  be  a story  of  a life- 
time as  long  as  my  own,  or  as  that  of  Coleridge’s 
Ancient  Mariner,  I hesitated,  but  I found  that  Mr. 
Joy  has  only  one  story  to  tell  ; he  tells  it  to  every 
friend,  and  to  every  acquaintance  every  time  it  can 
be  done  ; hut  he  does  it  so  well,  having  given  his 
whole  mind  to  that  labor  of  love,  that  even  though 
by  the  first  symptoms  men  know  all  that  will  come, 
there  is  hardly  an  instance  on  record  of  any  man 
saying  “ Don’t.”  Many  of  his  friends  bait  their  trap 


264 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


with  the  sentence,  “ ’T  isn’t  everybody  that  can  tell  a 
good  thing,  even  when  they  know  it,”  and  that 
never  fails  to  draw  the  story:  “You  may  well  say 
that.  There  was  a young  fellow  by  name  of  Smith, 
rather  uncommon  name,  a student  in  the  college  at 

, and  he  was  the  hardest  - up  young  man  you 

ever  saw,  but  as  bright  as  a golden  eagle.  He  was 
almost  out  at  elbows,  his  clothes  glittered  in  a way 
that  no  tailor  could  approve,  and  though  his  soul  shone 
through  his  bright  eyes  whenever  a fellow-student 
trembled  on  the  verge  of  a joke,  there  was  no  sole 
worth  mentioning  to  keep  his  feet  from  the  road. 
Hard  up  was  no  word  for  it  ; he  was  quite  run  into 
the  ground.  But  for  ail  his  poverty,  Smith  was  a 
favorite  with  every  man  in  the  college,  president, 
professors  and  all.  One  day  when  Professor  Griffin 
was  passing  along  the  corridors  on  his  way  to  the 
usual  meeting  of  Faculty,  he  was  surprised  and  de- 
lighted to  see  Smith  in  a new  rig,  glossy  and  fresh 
from  the  tailor’s.  Now,  Mr.  Griffin  was  not  the 
heraldic,  metaphorical  Griffin,  a fire-eater,  but  a gen- 
uine, kind-hearted  man  ; and  acting  upon  his  friendly 
impulse,  he  stopped  to  chat  with  Smith.  ‘Quite 
glad,  Mr.  Smith,  to  see  you  have  some  new  clothes  ; 
and  they  are  nice  clothes,  too  ; they  fit  you  well  ; 
but  say,  isn’t  the  coat  too  short  ? ’ ‘All  right,  sir; 
thank  you,’  said  Smith  ; ‘it  will  be  long  enough 
before  I get  another.’  The  Professor  saw  the  point 
in  a minute  ; there  was  no  difficulty  about  that. 
Many  men  see  the  lightning,  but  few  can  imitate 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  205 

its  movements.  He  doubled  up  like  a jack-knife 
and  went  off  laughing  like  a man  possessed.  It  was 
wonderful  the  way  he  laughed.  The  faculty  wa£ 
in  session,  and  on  such  occasions  dignity  is  in  order, 
but  Mr.  Griffin  could  not  stop  laughing.  He  leaned 
on  the  table  and  laughed  as  if  he  must  die  of  it. 
He  sat  down  in  his  own  particular  chair,  and 
almost  rolled  on  the  floor.  He  laughed  until  nearly 
all  his  colleagues  were  affected  with  the  cachinatory 
disorder,  and  the  President,  unable  to  control  his 
curiosity,  asked  the  cause.  c Why,  sir,5  said  Professor 
Griffin,  and  he  burst  out  laughing  again,  c I met 
young  Mr.  Smith  in  the  corridor  ; you  all  know 
young  Smith,  but  you  would  hardly  know  him  now, 
for  he  has  a handsome  new  suit  of  clothes.  I was 
glad  to  see  the  change  in  his  appearance,  and  I 
stopped  to  tell  him  so,  but  while  speaking  I no- 
ticed that  his  coat  was  disproportioned  to  his  height, 
as  you  know  he  is  a tall  young  man.  c Isn’t  your 
coat  a little  short?5  said  I.  That  was  enough.  It 
was  wonderful  how  quick  the  answer  came.  He 

didn’t  hesitate  one  second.  c Short,  sir  ? No  ! It 

will  be  a long  time  before  I get  another.5  55  That 

was  Mr.  Joy’s  one  story,  and  the  way  he  laughed 

while  he  was  telling  it  was  enough  to  convulse  any 
audience.  I think  his  appearance  must  have  been 
sometimes  more  comical  than  his  words,  but  of 
course  that  was  a matter  for  my  imagination  only.  It 
was  enough  for  me  that  I could  delight  my  little 
household  any  time  by  telling  Lawyer  Joy’s  story, 


266 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


and  in  all  my  little  repertoire  that  was  the  most 
effective.  So,  in  my  brief  stay  at  home  holidays, 
waiting  for  the  word  as  to  people  likely  to  buy 
organs  and  pianos,  I very  often  visited  Battle  Creek, 
reciting  the  gentle  dulness  of  Professor  Griffin. 
My  wife’s  acquaintance  with  English  is  sufficient  to 
enable  her  to  understand  that  story  now,  but  there 
was  a time,  shortly  after  our  marriage,  when  Nor- 
wegian was  of  necessity  our  vernacular,  and  we  used 
to  enjoy  a joke  at  her  expense,  pretending  she  had 
made  the  mistake,  of  which  a farmer  named  Ericsson, 
near  La  Crosse,  was  guilty,  when  asked  how  his  po- 
tatoes had  turned  out.  His  answer  was,  “ Good,  but 
seldom That  failure  of  Professor  Griffin  to  convey 
to  others  the  idea  that  had  power  to  penetrate  his 
own  cranium,  can  be  verified  as  a sample  of  the 
natural  endowments  of  nearly  three-fifths  of  all  the 
people  met  with  in  society.  Sit  down  with  a dozen 
men,  and  whisper  to  your  next  neighbor  any  anecdote 
or  bon  mot , the  most  simple,  and  request  him  to  pass 
it  in  a whisper  to  the  next  and  so  on,  until  it  has 
made  the  circle  of  the  room  and  returned  to  you  ; 
the  story  will  have  been  changed  so  much  in  the 
dozen  narrations  that  you  won’t  see  its  relationship 
to  the  story  you  started,  without  tracing  the  blun- 
der back  through  every  link  in  the  human  chain. 
Horace  Greeley,  a writer  whose  caligraphy  was  a 
marvel,  made  a head-line  of  the  words  “ No  cross, 
no  crown,”  when  brave  John  Brown  was  awaiting 
his  doom  at  Harper’s  Ferry,  and  the  puzzled  com- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  267 

positor,  with  some  pride  in  his  own  sagacity,  set  up 
the  words,  “No  cows,  no  cream,” 

I was  delighted  with  my  new  avocation  for  its  own 
sake,  apart  from  the  fact  that  it  gave  bread  and 
a little  more  to  my  family.  Music  has  often  seemed 
to  be  my  best  earthly  solace,  although  my  skill  as  an 
executant  is  only  moderate.  The  waters  of  misery 
have  submerged  me  many  times  in  my  eventful 
career,  and  if  in  the  very  depths  of  my  distress  I 
could  find  an  instrument  on  which  I might  play, 
or  still  better,  if  some  capable  performer  would 
favor  me  with  a spirit-stirring  piece,  I emerged  from 
my  dullness  like  a giant  refreshed.  I never  tired 
of  praising  the  restorative  powers  of  music.  The 
madness  of  King  Saul  was  soothed  when  the  Psalm- 
ist David,  in  his  boyhood,  struck  the  harp.  That 
poor  maniac,  George  III.,  whose  tyrannical  obstinacy 
severed  the  Colonies  from  the  mother  country,  and 
in  a sense  built  up  these  United  States,  used  in  his 
old  age,  when  blindness  fell  upon  him  in  the  decay 
of  all  his  faculties,  when  deserted  by  his  children, 
like  King  Lear  in  the  fable,  to  find  a charm  which 
pacified  his  soul  in  crooning  sacred  melodies.  There 
is  a bliss  unspeakable  thrilling  the  heights  and  depths 
of  cultivated  • natures,  when  soul  speaks  to  soul, 
without  the  intervention  of  words,  through  the  com- 
positions of  the  great  masters;  and  when  circum- 
stances favored  me  so  far  as  that,  in  my  capacity  as 
salesman  for  Julius  Bauer  of  Wabash  Avenue,  Chi- 
cago, I could  at  any  time  lay  my  hands  upon  a Knabe, 


268  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

a Chickering,  or  a Steinway,  there  was  no  woe 
that  could  not  be  driven  away  under  the  blessing 
of  my  Redeemer.  The  genius  of  the  maestro  put 
to  flight  the  petty  environments  of  trouble  and  dis- 
aster when  things  seemed  at  their  worst;  and  my 
soul,  which  h&d  almost  abdicated  its  powers,  rose 
toward  the  empyrean,  finding  rifts  of  golden  prom- 
is  in  the  dark  clouds  which  had  shut  in  my  sorrow- 
dimmed  intellect.  I cannot  say  that  I ever  saw  the 
stars,  so  long  is  it  since  the  blessing  of  sight  ceased 
to  be  mine,  but  in  my  imagination  they  shine  down 
upon  me  out  of  the  heavenly  depths,  as  in  the 
beginning  of  our  era  the  star  shone  for  the  wise  men 
who  came  from  the  East  to  the  manger  at  Beth- 
lehem, to  discover  the  new-born  child;  and  music 
aids  me  more  than  spoken  words  to  that  exquisite 
delight.  Music  is  indeed  God-given.  The  human 
heart  throbs  responsive  to  its  touch.  The  imagery 
of  the  poet  pouring  forth  his  inspiration,  has  no 
trope  more  beautiful  than  is  contained  in  the  language 
of  Job:  “When  the  morning  stars  sang  together, 
and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.”  The 
celestial  harmony  which  used  to  be  accepted  as  the 
utterance  of  a poet’s  rhapsody  is  now  known  to 
science  as  a veritable  truth;  and  it  is  not  difficult  to 
imagine  that  in  the  exaltation  of  sense  whicffi  may 
come  when  this  tenement  of  clay  shall  no  longer 
clog  our  faculties,  the  music  of  the  spheres  shall 
swell  into  diviner  strains,  the  anthems  of  the  just 
made  perfect.  This  earth  can  be  made  heaven-like  by 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  269 

music.  Give  me  only  the  instrument  to  which  I am 
accustomed — finer  in  some  respects  than  Chickering, 
Steinway  or  Knabe  have  ever  produced — and  peace 
to  translate  into  sounds  the  sweet  and  entrancing 
bequests  of  the  masters  whom  I humbly  follow, 
and  I envy  neither  king  nor  kaiser;  I can  even 
forget  that  I am  blind.  Pillared  porticos  and  sump- 
tuous dwellings  surround  me,  with  delights  that 
seem  familiar,  and  even  though  but  a few  minutes 
earlier  I might  have  tightened  my  belt  to  reduce 
the  importunities  of  my  epigastrium,  there  are  in 
my  mind  the  sensations  of  one  bidden  to  a feast. 

I have  said  that  my  favorite  instrument  excels  in 
some  respects  the  pianos  which  are  most  highly 
esteemed  in  fashionable  circles,  and  as  I wish  to 
avoid  the  appearance  of  a paradox  in  my  words,  1 
will  explain:  My  countryman,  Ole  Bull,  whose  skill 
as  a musician  needs  no  praise  from  me,  conceived 
years  since  the  idea  of  an  improved  sounding-board 
for  the  piano,  with  braces  and  bridging,  on  the 
principle  which  is  carried  to  perfection  in  some  of 
his  own  violins,  centuries  old,  and  improving  with 
age.  That  idea  took  actual  possession  of  his  mind, 
and  out  of  the  immense  wealth  which  he  could 
coin  at  will  with  a few  touches  of  his  bow,  he 
spent  fortunes  in  trying  to  realize  the  conception. 
Failing  to  satisfy  himself  as  a manufacturer,  the 
thought  passed  on  to  Julius  Bauer,  whose  skill  and 
ambition  as  a maker  of  instruments  were  fired  by 
the  possibility  of  success  into  never-wearying  effort, 


270  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

and  the  result  of  his  genius  and  determination  is 
now  under  my  hand,  a marvel  of  musical  power, 
which  will  grow  better  with  age  for  many  genera- 
tions. I am  fully  aware  of  the  responsibility  which 
I assume  in  writing  those  words,  but  they  come 
from  the  depths  of  my  consciousness,  and  what  I 
have  said  repeatedly  in  conversations  I do  not  hesi- 
tate to  place  on  record,  with  the  fullest  assurance 
that  the  written  word  will  remain.  The  principle 
of  acoustic  figuring  has  been  applied  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Bauer  sounding-board,  and  the  volume 
of  melody  produced  in  instrumentation  has  openings 
through  which  to  develop,  instead  of  being  muf- 
fled as  in  other  pianos.  The  sounding-board  is  so 
braced  that  it  does  not  allow  of  sagging  by  the 
pressure  of  strings,  and,  except  in  some  small  par- 
ticulars which  do  not  now  occur  to  the  minds  of 
musicians,  the  Bauer  piano  must  long  remain  with- 
out an  equal. 

Having  said  so  much  about  music  and  musical  in- 
struments, it  is  perhaps  unnecessary  for  me  to  say 
that  I am  an  enthusiast  in  my  pursuit;  and  that 
when  I have  once  discovered  a taste  for  music  in 

a family,  and  have  learned  that  the  means  are  avail- 
able to  indulge  and  cultivate  the  capacity,  it  is  very 

difficult  to  convince  me  that  the  instruments  I can 

sell  are  not  the  best  adapted  to  the  wants  of  that 

household.  I do  not  make  myself  a bore  by  my 
persistency,  or  at  any  rate,  I strive  to  avoid  any 
such  result.  Having  explained  as  briefly  as  possi- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


271 


ble  what  I can  offer  (and  of  course  the  best  qual- 
ities of  the  best  makers  pass  through  my  hands — 
the  organs  made  by  men  whose  names  are  house- 
hold words,  and  every  kind  of  first-class  piano),  I 
strive  to  make  it  understood,  not  as  a figure  of 
speech,  but  as  an  actual  verity,  that  I never  use  my 
reputation  to  push  the  sale  of  an  instrument  un- 
til I have  made  myself  conversant  with  its  value, 
and  can  give  so  much  of  guarantee  as  my  charac- 
ter affords,  that  it  is  worth  the  price  demanded. 
If,  having  gone  so  far  as  that,  I find  a hesitancy 
in  the  mind  of  the  would-be  purchaser,  I accept 
that  as  an  indication  that,  for  some  reason  which 
it  might  not  be  convenient  to  name,  the  transac- 
tion must  be  deferred.  I withdraw  for  the  time, 
taking  the  precaution  to  name  two  or  three  well 
known  families  that  can  be  consulted  as  to  the  gen- 
uineness of  my  protestations;  and  leave  the  address 
of  the  editor  of  my  autobiography,  Hon.  Chas.  E. 
Jones,  Principal  of  the  Bureau  of  Literature,  Monroe 
Street,  corner  of  Morgan,  Chicago;  through  whom 
Henry  Hendrickson  can  always  be  reached.  In  that 
way  I avoid  the  very  semblance  of  annoying  my 
patrons,  without  abandoning  the  chance  of  business; 
and  upon  the  first  hint  that  another  call  will  be 
acceptable,  I hasten  to  my  appointment  with  a rea- 
sonable certainty  that  a sale  will  be  effected. 

I hold  it  beyond  question  that  the  home  which 
does  not  contain  a piano  or  an  organ  capable  of 
giving  expression  to  the  creations  of  Mendelssohn, 


272  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

Beethoven,  Mozart,  Handel  and  their  copeers,  is 
wanting  in  one  of  the  great  requisites  for  culture 
and  delight.  I would  endure  many  privations  cheer- 
fully rather  than  allow  my  household  to  be  bereft  of 
the  joy  which  they  have  found  so  often  in  the  deep, 
rich,  entrancing  tones  of  my  Bauer  interpreting  the 
thoughts  of  long  ago,  with  a sweetness  which  will, 
I hope,  live  in  their  minds  until  we  gather  by  the 
river  within  the  celestial  portals,  where  the  melodies 
of  the  angelic  host  shall  utter,  in  perfect  fullness,  the 
praise  and  worship  which  have  been  fragmentary  and 
incomplete  upon  this  earth. 

I have  now  been  engaged  in  the  sale  of  instru- 
ments altogether  nearly  four  years,  and  have  no 
cause  to  complain  of  want  of  success;  but  I never 
reflect  upon  my  mule-like  drudgery  in  St.  Louis, 
when  I was  endeavoring  to  keep  a home  over  our 
heads,  in  despite  of  the  “Rattener’s”  Association, 
without  thinking  that,  if  the  State  Institution  for  the 
Blind  at  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  had  fitted  me  at  the 
outset  of  my  career  for  handling  musical  instruments 
of  all  kinds  as  I am  now  doing,  my  health  and  vigor, 
and  that  of  my  family  would  have  been  much 
greater,  and  we  might  have  been  spared  much  mis- 
ery. In  saying  this  I have  no  wish  to  undervalue 
what  was  effected  in  my  case.  My  friend,  Mr.  Ives, 
found  me  at  home,  almost  useless  for  any  purpose, 
and  rapidly  cultivating  despondent  habits  of  mind, 
with  occasional  bursts  of  mischievousness,  which 
would  have  terminated  in  my  becoming  a very  un- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


273 


profitable  citizen.  His  strenuous  solicitations  changed 
the  current  of  my  life  into  useful  channels,  enabled 
me  as  a broom -maker  to  become  self-supporting,  and 
opened  my  mind  to  habits  of  study  which,  if  they 
have  contributed  nothing  to  the  literary  and  scien- 
tific knowledge  of  the  age,  have  enabled  me  to  store 
my  mind  with  the  leading  facts  of  history,  so  that 
I can  utilize  my  leisure  by  giving  instruction  to  my 
children,  with  their  mother’s  aid,  converting  our  home 
into  a little  college  where  the  lessons  of  patriotism 
are  unceasingly  enforced. 

Earlier  in  this  volume  I glanced,  and  only  glanced, 
at  the  discovery  of  this  continent  by  Icelandic  and 
Scandinavian  voyagers,  many  centuries  before  Christo- 
pher Columbus  procured  from  the  Court  of  Spain 
the  means  to  venture  into  those  seas.  It  would 
amuse  as  well  as  astonish  many  of  my  readers, 
could  they  hear  the  questions  and  exclamations  of 
juvenile  Scandinavian  students  with  reference  to  their 
mighty  ancestors,  the  unquestioned  masters  of  the 
seas  when  Iceland  was  the  home  of  learning  in 
Europe.  They  seem  to.  know  almost  from  their 
cradles  about  the  discovery  of  Iceland  by  the  Nor- 
wegians, early  in  the  ninth  century,  and  the  con- 
solidation of  a little  republic  on  that  island,  which 
had  a brilliant  existence  from  928  A.  D.  to  1262, 
during  which  time  the  Skalds  visited  the  nobles 
and  great  families  on  their  estates,  diffused  a love  of 
literature,  and  built  up  a language,  which,  although 

closely  related  to  the  Norwegian,  has  to  this  hour 
18 


274  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

an  independent  existence.  The  literary  monuments 
of  the  Icelandic  tongue  are  many  and  various,  com- 
mencing with  the  poetical  Edda,  parts  of  which 
were  almost  certainly  written  in  the  ninth  century — 
many  writers  claim  for  it  an  existence  in  the  eighth 
century — although  it  was  not  compiled  by  Saemund 
Sigfusson  until  some  time  between  1054  and  1153, 
within  which  dates  the  Norsemen  had  made  them- 
selves masters  of  England.  The  prose  Edda,  pos- 
sibly written  by  Snorri  Sturleson,  but  more  proba- 
bly compiled  by  him,  dates  in  the  latter  form  from 
1178  to  1241,  and  the  completeness  of  its  statement 
of  the  pagan  faith  of  our  ancestors,  as  well  as  its 
review  of  the  art  of  poetry  as  then  understood, 
gives  to  the  work  a peculiar  significance.  The 

Skalds  were  in  their  day  as  celebrated  as  the  Kings 
and  the  Jarls,  and  the  names  of  Egill  Skallagrim- 
son,  Eyvind  Finsson,  Thord  Kolbeinsson,  Ivar 

Xngarmundarson,  and  others,  suggest  gigantic  attain- 
ments and  authority  far  beyond  all  that  their  literary 
remains  appear  to  justify.  It  may  well  be  that 
their  writings  lack  the  fitness  which  would  win 

admiration  in  the  nineteenth  century,  just  as  the 
lubrications  of  Duns  Scotus,  the  subtle  doctor,  as 
he  was  called  in  his  own  time,  have  long  ceased 
to  be  praised,  although  in  the  thirteenth  century, 

and  long  after,  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland  con- 
tested the  honor  of  having  given  him  birth,  and 
the  friar  professor  was  esteemed  a very  miracle  of 
learning,  philosophy,  and  religious  fervor. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  275 

The  Sagas  are,  however,  the  great  triumphs  of 
literary  attainment  upon  which  not  only  all  Scandi- 
navians, but  all  the  scholarly  men  ot  every  nation 
are  agreed.  Perfect  in  artistic  form,  they  offer  a 
reliable  basis  for  the  history  of  the  Scandinavian 
races,  and  in  a large  degree  for  that  of  the  civili- 
zation of  Europe.  To  the  Sagas,  various  in  form 
and  multifarious  in  the  subjects  of  which  they 
treated,  Columbus  was  in  all  likelihood  indebted 
for  the  hints  which  he  improved  in  the  re-discovery 
of  this  continent;  as  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt 
that  the  great  Genoese  navigator,  pursuing  his  call- 
ing as  a maker  of  maps,  visited  Iceland  before  he 
began  to  importune  the  Courts  of  Europe  to  give 
him  command  of  an  expedition  which  was  to  sail 
west  until  it  reached  India.  The  Scandinavian 
peoples  still  preserve  in  some  degree  the  arts  of 
narration  by  the  domestic  hearth,  to  which  we 
are  indebted  for  the  Njalssaga,  an  epic  which  chal- 
lenges comparison  with  the  Iliad.  Iceland  was  won- 
drously  adapted  to  bring  that  faculty  to  perfection. 
The  brief  and  dreamlike  summer  into  which  all  the 
operations  of  the  husbandman  were  of  necessity 
crowded,  was  followed  by  a prolonged  and  severe 
winter,  which  made  indoor  amusements  and  work 
the  mainstays  of  intellectual  and  social  life.  The 
father  was  the  intellectual  center  of  his  home,  and 
he  told  the  adventures  of  Njal  to  the  listening 
groups,  as  his  father  had  handed  it  down  to  him, 
from  a remote  antiquity,  until  the  time  arrived  for 


276 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  Saga  to  embody  the  story  of  all  ages.  Almost 
in  the  same  way,  allowing  always  for  the  differ- 
ences of  climate,  the  poets  and  reciters  in  the  Gre- 
cian states  preserved  the  spoken  records  of  demi- 
gods and  heroes,  until  blind  Homer,  master  of  them 
all,  imprinted  his  name  and  genius  upon  their  utter- 
ances. I say,  allowing  for  differences  of  climatic  con- 
ditions — for  in  the  Scandinavian  and  Icelandic  home 
there  were  no  Olympian  and  Isthmian  games  to 
tempt  youth  to  enter  arenas  of  display  — the  fireside 
was  the  theater  of  eloquence.  The  boisterous 
Fjords  and  freezing  winds  beyond  the  shelter  of  the 

Icelander’s  cottage,  made  every  home  a separate 

colony  during  the  major  part  of  the  year,  and 

when  sons  and  daughters  plied  their  sires  with  ques- 
tions as  to  the  great  names  that  adorn  their  com- 
mon history  to-day,  the  venerable  reciter  of  the 
glory  of  his  nation  and  race  burst  into  loftier 
strains  of  enthusiasm  and  reverence,  which  were 
remembered  thereafter  as  the  goal  of  that  genera- 
tion, until  new  combinations  in  language,  fresh  coin- 
ages in  words,  permitted  a new  mint-stamp  to  ex- 
press the  growing  appreciation  of  the  divine  in 

manhood. 

The  Sagas  are  in  this  way  the  embodiment  of  the 
history  of  souls  as  well  as  of  nations  and  races,  and 
as  such  they  will  grow  in  importance  through  time. 
The  civilization  of  Iceland  was  phenomenal  during 
the  few  centuries  which  have  been  indicated,  but  then 
the  isolation  and  segregation  of  family  groups,  with 


our  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


277 


the  customs  of  enthusiastic  recital  at  which  we  have 
glanced,  produced  in  many  of  the  leading  families  a 
determination  to  rule  or  ruin,  such  as  we  have  often 
seen  exemplified  in  the  councils  of  other  countries. 
Ruin  and  desolation,  widespread,  almost  universal, 
were  the  natural  consequences  among  a people  too 
brave  to  be  subdued  into  retainership,  and  at  last 
the  colony  was  so  much  weakened  by  dissensions  that 
the  island,  no  longer  able  to  vindicate  its  right  to  self- 
government,  became  a dependency  of  Norway,  and 
continued  so  to  exist,  subject  to  Denmark  still  later, 
until  the  one  thousandth  anniversary  of  the  founda- 
tion of  the  colony,  since  which  tine  its  recognition 
of  Danish  supremacy  is  limited  only  to  the  headship 
of  the  same  sovereign.  This  story  has  charms  for  all 
Scandinavian  peoples,  because  of  the  moral  and  po- 
litical lessons  with  which  it  is  fraught,  telling,  in  a 
practical  and  convincing  way,  to  every  ambitious  man 
in  whom  the  lust  for  rule  may  become  ripe  with  dan- 
gers for  his  fellow-citizens,  that  the  outcome  of  mis- 
directed energy  aimed  at  the  conquest  of  popular 
freedom  will  be  more  likely  to  reduce  the  threat- 
ened community  to  foreign  domination  than  to  in- 
duce the  people  to  bear  the  yoke  of  a domestic  op- 
pressor. The  poetry  and  the  prose  of  Iceland,  pre- 
cious as  they  are,  though  they  have  been  written 
amid  the  ice  and  snows  of  an  almost  perpetual  win- 
ter, in  low  huts  of  lava  blocks  and  moss,  are  not 
more  to  be  considered  than  the  philosophy  which 
arises  out  of  that  experience  which  for  so  long  a 


278  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

term  deprived  the  people  of  their  nationality.  The 
lesson  belongs  to  all  the  Scandinavian  races,  and 
should  be  remembered  by  every  man  in  his  home, 
so  that  when  he  is  called  upon  to  speak  of  the 
Norsemen  of  old,  he  may  impress  upon  his  children, 
and  their  children  after  them,  whether  they  live  in 
monarchies  or  in  republics,  that  there  is  no  guarantee 
for  the  liberties  of  a nation  and  the  sterling  inde- 
pendence of  a people,  save  in  the  mutual  regard  with 
which  every  citizen  feels  called  upon  to  defend  the 
rights  of  his  neighbor.  The  law  which  was  given 
to  the  individual  by  Him  “who  spake  as  never  man 
spake,”  applies  with  precisely  similar  force  to  the 
state,  under  whatever  name  it  may  be  known. 
“Whatsoever  ye  would  that  others  should  do  unto 
you,  do  ye  even  so  unto  them.” 

The  Sagas  leave  no  margin  for  reasonable  doubt 
that  this  continent  must  have  been  well  known  to 
Norway  in  and  after  the  ninth  century,  until  the 
black  death,  as  it  was  called,  in  the  thirteenth  century, 
so  completely  decimated  and  reduced  the  parent  king- 
dom that  its  very  existence  was  imperiled.  Thor- 
waldsen,  the  sculptor,  in  whose  well-earned  fame 
every  Scandinavian  finds  cause  for  honorable  pride, 
is  said  to  have  been  the  direct  descendant  from  the 
only  child  born  in  the  colony  of  Vinland.  The 
claims  of  the  first  discoverers  upon  European  grati- 
tude would  have  been  largely  enhanced  had  their 
knowledge  been  communicated  to  other  nations;  but 
just  then  the  several  governments  were  beginning 


OUT  FKOM  THE  DARKNESS. 


279 


to  realize  the  idea  of  overcrowding  which  was  felt 
by  Abraham  when  he  parted  company  with  his 
kinsman,  Lot,  although  the  two  families  occupied 
a territory  upon  which  subsequently  kingdoms  were 
reared  ; the  necessity  for  an  outlet  for  a superabund- 
ant population  found  an  answer  in  the  surplus- 
destroying  crusades.  Millions  of  men,  and  these 
the  virile  entities  of  their  time,  abandoned  their 
homes  within  a few  generations  to  pour  out  their 
life  blood  upon  the  sterile  plains  and  deserts  of  the 
Holy  Land,  and,  as  well  by  their  absence  as  by 
their  destruction,  the  populous  countries  were  deprived 
of  their  increase,  and  filled  with  ideas  which  were 
temporarily  a death  blow  to  national  development. 
The  church  alone  grew  until  she  could  plant  her 
haughty  foot  upon  the  necks  of  kings,  and  compel 
popular  submission  to  almost  any  demand.  Crowns 
were  in  her  gift,  sovereigns  were  her  vsssals,  and 
when  in  some  few  cases  monarchs  were  brave 
enough  to  resist  her  aggressions,  the  anathemas  of 
the  church,  followed  by  excommunication,  seldom 
failed  to  destroy  the  powers  of  the  champions  of 
civil  rights.  Under  the  rule  of  the  church,  with 
occasional  blood-lettings  in  the  name  of  the  Redeemer, 
whose  tomb  was  supposed  to  be  desecrated  by  the 
infidel  reigning  in  Jerusalem,  the  interests  of  the 
people  were  not  considered,  nor  was  there  any  neces- 
sity for  the  establishment  of  colonies  abroad  until 
literature,  which  had  been  in  leading-strings,  stepped 
out  from  the  control  of  the  monks,  and  by  means 


280  OUT  FROM  THE  DARK  NESS, 

of  the  printing  press  appealed  to  the  thinking 
powers  of  humanity.  Then  the  Sagas  of  Iceland 
revealed  to  Columbus  what  the  hardy  Norsemen 
had  done  and  discovered,  and  he,  full  of  that  insight 
which  is  given  only  to  leading  minds,  comprehended 
and  applied  the  knowledge  which  was  an  enigma 
to  less  favored  mortals.  His  greatness  was  none 
the  less  great  because  ne  used  the  knowledge  which 
others  had  built  up,  instead  of  sailing  on  a blind 
chance  to  discover  an  unknown  country.  Thus  it  is 
not  from  any  envy  of  the  fame  of  Columbus  that 
we  insist  upon  the  claims  to  priority  of  Eric  the  Red 
and  his  son  Liefr,  who  not  only  knew  the  country, 
but  actually  founded  the  colony  already  mentioned, 
in  Vinland,  or  southeastern  New  England. 

But  it  is  not  enough  to  speak  of  Iceland  and  of 
this  country’s  earliest  discoveries.  The  Scandinavian 
races  have  a past  bright  with  the  deeds  of  heroes, 
which  carry  us  back  to  the  time  when  the  Roman 
Empire  commenced  its  disintegration  ; and  from  that 
time  until  the  present,  there  has  hardly  been  one 
generation  of  mankind  in  Europe  which  has  not 
had  occasion  to  remember  the  Norsemen.  In  my 
fireside  stories  (and  I sometimes  hope  that  I may 
be  called  and  have  the  courage  to  speak  to  larger 
audiences)  I am  demanded  of  conscience  to  do 
homage  to  the  noble  natures  which  triumphed  by 
force  of  arms  and  by  mother  wit  over  long-estab- 
lished dynasties  in  Europe,  and  wrote  their  names 
with  emphatic  splendor  upon  the  spirit-stirring  pages 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


281 


of  history.  That  little  population  of  Norway,  aggre- 
gating less  than  two  million  souls,  .occupying  the 
western  portion  of  the  Scandinavian  peninsula,  with 
the  Arctic  Ocean  on  the  north,  with  Sweden  and 
Russian  Lapland  on  the  east,  on  the  south  the 
Skager  Rack,  and  on  the  west  the  North  Sea 
and  the  wild  Atlantic,  was  indeed  a fit  cradle  for 
a line  of  sea  kings.  From  east  to  west  the  greatest 
breadth  is  only  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles, 
and  from  north  to  south  the  length  is  only  one 
thousand  and  eighty  miles;  but  when  we  consider 
what  has  been  accomplished,  under  favoring  circum- 
stances, within  and  from  within  that  area,  we  are 
reminded  of  the  will-power  of  the  man  who  said, 
c‘  When  I am  mad  I weigh  a ton.” 

The  question  who  were  the  Finns  has  never  been 
satisfactorily  answered,  although  many  facts  connect 
them  with  the  Magyars  and  Mantchoos.  They 
were  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  Norway,  the  abo- 
rigines whom  the  Northmen  displaced,  as  the  greater 
waves  oft  scatter  the  debris  which  the  lesser  billows 
have  planted  on  the  coast  line.  The  Gothic  peoples, 
barbarians  though  they  were  to  the  effeminate 
Romans,  had  a rude,  brave  civilization  of  their  own, 
which  expressed  itself  in  their  respect  for  woman,  and 
for  personal  freedom ; and  they  came  with  the  force 
of  an  avalanche,  bearing  down  all  obstacles,  to  possess 
the  land,  and  eventually  to  extend  their  empire  be- 
yond the  margin  of  the  mighty  deep.  The  Finns 
were  as  nothing  before  the  array  of  new  comers, 


282 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


but  they  were  treated  with  some  consideration,  as 
when  a giant  sits  in  the  presence  of  weaker  mor- 
tals he  is  content  to  let  them  breathe  the  same 
air,  and  disport  around  his  footstool.  The  conquer- 
ing race  can  usually  discover  reasons  why  the  con- 
quered may  live,  though  it  be  only  as  u hewTers  of 
wood  and  drawers  of  water.5’ 

The  age  of  demi-gods  passed  away,  as  such  eras 
pass  in  the  infancy  of  every  great  people,  and  we 
step  from  the  dim  records  of  tradition  to  actual  history 
with  the  reign  of  Harald  Harfagar,  or  Harald  the 
Fair-haired,  from  about  863  to  933.  He  was  a 
greater  man,  dominating  over  great  leaders,  and 
when  he  had  established  his  dominion  they  departed 
with  thousands  of  their  followers  to  harass  the  coasts 
of  Europe,  and  make  good  a foothold  elsewhere. 
From  the  nobleness  and  magnanimity  of  Harald 
Harfagar  to  the  narrow  and  tyrannical  disposition  of 
Erik  the  Cruel,  was  a descent  too  rapid  to  be  en- 
dured, and  the  people  who  had  submitted  joyfully 
to  the  father  rose  in  rebellion  against  the  son,  and 
he  was  driven  from  the  kingdom  after  a reign  of 
only  five  years.  Hakon,  or  Hako  the  Good,  an- 
other son  of  Harald,  who  had  been  educated  in  the 
court  of  the  English  King,  Athelstane,  and  was 
known  as  his  foster  son,  was  called  to  the  throne 
which  his  father  had  dignified,  and  thus  the  prin- 
ciple of  hereditary  government  was  recognized  even 
in  the  act  of  departure,  just  as  the  English,  when 
determined  to  endure  no  more  of  the  obstinate  folly 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


283 


of  James  II.,  transferred  the  sceptre  to  his  eldest 
daughter,  Mary,  and  her  husband  William  of  Or- 
ange. The  hereditary  principle  in  government, 
strictly  followed,  has  often  been  the  ruin  of  a na- 
tion’s prestige,  because  wisdom  and  courage  do  not 
descend  to  the  first-born  invariably,  and  in  many 
cases  none  of  the  sons  of  great  men  have  preserved 
the  characteristics  of  their  sires.  The  sterling  worth 
of  Hakon  the  Good  is  attested  by  his  title;  he  gave 
to  his  kingdom  a code  of  laws,  and  tried  to  intro- 
duce Christianity,  but  the  sturdy  old  pagans  resisted 
his  entreaties,  and  it  was  not  until  three  centuries 
later  that  the  nation  was  gathered  into  the  fold. 
The  Danes  repeatedly  aided  the  sons  of  Erik  the 
Cruel  to  drive  their  uncle  from  the  throne,  but  they 
were  unsuccessful  until  963,  when  he  was  unfortu- 
nately slain  in  battle  with  them,  and  the  realm  was 
divided  between  Erik  Graafell  and  Hakon  Jarl,  two 
cousins,  until  Hakon  Jarl  died,  in  995.  After  that 
the  Norwegians  revolted  against  the  son  of  Erik 
the  Cruel,  and  Olaf  came  to  the  throne,  filling  it 
with  glory. 

Olaf  is  to  Norway  what  St.  George  is  to  England, 
St.  Andrew  to  Scotland,  St.  Patrick  to  old  Ireland, 
or  St.  Denis  to  France,  but  he  is  more  real  than 
either  of  the  other  saints,  except  maybe  St.  Patrick. 
Before  he  was  twelve  years  old  he  commanded  a 
Viking  fleet,  by  virtue  of  his  descent  from  Harald 
the  Fair-haired,  and  before  he  was  nineteen  there 
was  no  warrior  on  the  seas  more  dreaded.  He  was 


284 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


installed  on  the  throne  of  Norway  on  his  return  from 
an  expedition  against  France  and  Spain,  and  but 
for  zeal  in  the  promotion  of  Christianity  his  reign 
would  have  been  peaceful  at  home  as  well  as  glorious 
abroad,  for  his  fame  was  the  pride  of  the  nation. 
His  father,  the  first  Olaf,  had  been  the  chosen  theme 
of  poets  and  romancers  during  all  his  reign,  and 
his  honors  survived  him,  although  the  freedom  of 
his  native  land  did  not.  My  children  can  tell  you 
how  Olaf,  being  defeated  in  a naval  engagement  by 
the  Danes  with  overpowering  numbers,  leaped  over- 
board with  all  his  armor  to  avoid  capture  by  the 
enemies  of  his  country,  and  so  died  in  the  year 
1000  of  the  Christian  era,  but  before  his  own  country- 
men had  embraced  the  cross.  There  was  a fierce 
and  ungovernable  pagan  spirit  among  the  nobles,  as 
well  as  among  their  followers.  When  one  of  the 
princes  was  on  the  brink  of  conversion,  the  waters 
were  ready  for  his  baptism,  the  Christian  father 
congratulated  him  on  his  escaping  the  pit  filled  with 
fire  and  brimstone  in  which  his  ancestors  had  suffered 
since  their  deaths,  and  must  suffer  to  all  eternity. 
“Are  all  my  ancestors  in  hell,  then?”  quoth  the  im- 
placable warrior.  u They  are,”  said  the  impolitic 
Father.  “ Then  I will  go  there  also.  None  of 
your  baptism  for  me!”  Among  such  stalwarts  ordi- 
nary measures  of  persuasion  were  of  no  avail,  and 
the  Olafs,  fist  and  second,  tried  to  rear  the  cross 
of  the  Redeemer  in  Norway  by  force  of  arms. 
The  first,  as  we  have  seen,  died  at  sea,  after  a bril- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  285 

liant  career,  which  has  kept  the  name  alive  to  the 
present  hour;  and  the  second  perished  in  his  zeal 
for  his  religion.  The  subjects  of  the  Saint,  enraged 
because  of  his  persistency  for  the  new  faith,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  rose  in  rebellion  against  him,  with  all 
the  pagan  forces  available,  strengthened  by  the  enemy 
without,  and  the  courage  and  strategic  skill  of  the 
monarch  availed  nothing  against  the  combination. 
The  great  Canute,  then  King  of  England  and  Den- 
mark, who  claimed  Norway  as  part  of  his  possessions, 
landed  near  Droutheim  in  1028,  after  the  king,  since 
canonized,  had  reigned  fourteen  years,  and  the  incip- 
ient Saint  was  driven  into  Russia,  where  for  two 
years  he  busied  himself  in  preparing  for  the  libera- 
tion of  his  kingdom.  In  furtherance  of  that  enter- 
prise, Olaf  II.  returned  from  Russia  with  a consider- 
able force,  in  which  Sweden  supplied  a contingent, 
but  he  was  slain  in  battle  at  Stiklestad,  in  July, 
1030,  after  his  army  had  been  routed. 

Canute  the  Great  conferred  the  government  of 
Norway  upon  his  son  Sweyn,  after  the  death  or 
Olaf,  but  when  Canute  died  the  people  would  not  en- 
dure Sweyn  as  their  monarch,  and  the  son  of  St.  Olaf 
reigned  as  Magnus  I.  for  twelve  years,  being  killed 
in  battle  by  the  Danes  in  1047.  Harold  II.  was 
slain  at  Stamford  Bridge,  in  England,  in  1066,  and  his 
successful  foe,  Harold,  the  last  of  the  Saxon  Kings, 
was  defeated  and  slain  at  Hastings  immediately  af- 
terward by  William  the  Norman,  who  established 
Norman  succession.  Olaf  III.,  son  of  Harold, 


286 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


strove  to  introduce  among  his  subjects  the  civiliza- 
tion of  Europe,  and  his  name  is  justly  held  in  rev- 
erence. Magnus  Barefoot,  his  son,  was  a conqueror, 
and  he  carried  the  arms  of  Norway  successfully  to 
the  Isle  of  Man,  the  Orkneys,  the  Shetland  Isles, 
and  the  Hebrides,  being  slain  in  battle  by  the 
Irish  in  an  attempt  to  conquer  that  kingdom. 
Ejsten,  Olaf  and  Sigurd,  sons  of  Magnus  Barefoot, 
were  now  made  joint  kings,  but  the  other  two 
dying  young,  Sigurd  reigned  alone  until  1130,  car- 
rying Norwegian  prowess  to  the  Holy  Land,  join- 
ing Baldwin,  King  of  Jerusalem,  in  a successful 
expedition  against  Sidon,  fighting  gloriously  against 
the  Moors,  and  winning  for  himself  a name  among 
the  greatest  heroes  of  a noble  race.  The  history 
of  our  nation  and  people  is  such  as  may  be  trans- 
mitted from  sire  to  son  with  pride  and  advantage. 
For  more  than  half  a century  Norway  was  torn 
by  intestinal  commotions  after  Sigurd’s  death,  so 
many  claimants  for  the  throne  being  equally  balanced, 
until  the  year  1184,  when  Sverer,  who  claimed  to 
be  the  son  of  Sigurd  II.,  established  his  dominion. 
The  nation  that  would  be  powerful  abroad  must 
needs  have  peace  at  home,  and  Norway  paid  dear 
for  her  commotions.  For  many  years  the  kingdom, 
which  had  been  an  important  factor  in  the  govern- 
ment of  almost  every  European  country  whose 
coast-line  could  be  harried,  could  hardly  protect  her 
own  borders,  but  the  courage  of  the  people  was 
unbroken.  The  black  death,  which  desolated  nearly 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  287 

the  whole  of  Europe  at  various  times,  so  that  it  is 
estimated  that  twenty-five  millions  of  people  died  of 
that  malignant  disease  imported  from  Egypt  and  the 
Levant,  fell  upon  Norway  with  absolutely  crushing 
effect  in  1348,  and  within  two  years  two-thirds  of 
the  population  had  been  absolutely  swept*  away. 
Medical  skill  there  was  absolutely  none,  either  in 
Norway  or  any  other  land,  competent  even  to  mit- 
igate the  sufferings  of  the  afflicted,  and  from  the 
first  attack  to  the  death  of  the  patient  there  was 
hardly  any  variation  until  the  climatic  or  other  un- 
known conditions  which  favored  the  spread  of  the 
destroying  agency  gradually  abated.  The  overflow 
of  the  Nile  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  starting- 
point,  when  the  disease  spread  its  ravages  for  the 
first  time  on  record  in  544,  and  the  want  of  hy- 
gienic knowledge  in  Constantinople,  then  the  cen- 
ter of  civilization  and  of  commerce,  intensified,  and 
diffused  its  malignity  all  over  the  world.  In  Heck- 
er’s  u Epidemics  of  the  Middle  Ages  ” this  subject  has 
been  so  completely  analyzed  and  set  forth  that  it 
would  be  folly  to  attempt  more  than  the  very 
briefest  digest  in  our  pages,  and  that  only  in  the 
hope  that  the  Scandinavian  races,  wherever  located, 
will  at  all  times  co-operate  with  well  defined  pur- 
pose with  all  nations  in  promoting  the  laws  of 
health,  which,  under  the  Divine  blessing,  must  be  in 
a physical  sense  the  gospel  of  saving  grace  to 
every  generation  of  all  the  nations. 

The  act  of  the  union  of  Calmar  became  possible  in 


288  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

1397  only  because  the  ravages  of  disease  had  des 
troyed  the  spirit  and  the  natural  resources  of  the 
nation ; and  although  under  that  act  there  was  no 
express  provision  for  the  abandonment  of  Norwegian 
liberties,  yet  the  actual  fact  was  that,  under  Margaret 
of  Denmark,  an  able  and  politic  monarch,  the  Danes 
became  supreme  in  Norwegian  affairs.  Danish  emi- 
grants displaced  the  old  Norwegian  nobles,  and  their 
power  as  an  order  was  utterly  broken.  In  the  pres- 
ent day  an  aristocracy  might  be  erased  in  any  of  the 
great  countries  of  Europe  without  permanent  injury 
to  civilization  or  good  government.  In  England, 
even,  where  for  many  reasons  the  aristocracy  is  the 
highest  in  tone  of  such  orders  on  the  earth,  in  any 
age,  there  would  be  no  absolute  loss  to  learning,  arts 
and  liberty  in  the  removal  of  the  privileged  class  to 
another  country,  because  the  people  generally  have  so 
completely  taken  into  their  own  hands  the  science  of 
government,  the  arts  of  defence,  the  means  of  indus- 
trial development  and  exchange,  and  all  the  details 
of  social  advancement,  that  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity could  not  be  so  imperiled  for  one  moment.  In 
the  fourteenth  century  it  was  otherwise.  The  learn- 
ing and  civilization  of  the  time  was  mainly  depend- 
ent upon  privileged  orders.  The  common  people,  ac- 
customed to  a continuous  struggle  for  daily  bread  of 
the  poorest  quality,  and  unaware  of  the  blessings  of 
civilization,  because  of  the  absence  of  any  endeavor 
to  educate  their  children  and  themselves,  suffered  the 
direst  neglect  of  their  material  resources  in  the  des- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


289 


truction  or  degradation  of  the  nobles.  Books  there 
were  few  of  any  class,  because  of  the  enormous  ex- 
pense of  their  reproduction  by  the  pencils  and  pens 
of  the  monks  immured  in  cells,  and  the  nobles  were 
almost  the  only  persons  that  could  afford  to  buy  them. 
A manuscript  volume,  more  or  less  illuminated  by  the 
use  of  colored  inks  and  gold,  was  esteemed  a present 
such  as  sovereigns  might  exchange,  and,  unfortunately, 
most  of  the  works  so  perpetuated  were  of  so  low  an 
intellectual  type  that  little  injury  would  have  accrued 
to  the  world  in  their  destruction.  Learned  men,  to 
whom  the  ignorant  looked  with  reverential  awe,  ex- 
pended their  powers  of  mind  in  debating  how  many 
angels  could  dance  upon  the  point  of  a needle,  and 
all  the  vigor  of  their  subtle  brain  was  lavishly  used 
in  sifting  that  undiscoverable  essence.  There  were 
some  few  rolls  of  papyrus,  parchments  and  other 
manuscripts,  the  destruction  of  which  might  have 
been  an  almost  irreparable  loss,  but  they  were  few 
and  far  between.  Many  of  those  who  possessed  these 
costly  treasures  — the  books  of  the  middle  ages  — 
were  unable  to  read  them,  and  their  lives  were 
passed  in  such  turmoil  and  fierce  strife  that  the  in- 
clination was  as  much  lacking  as  the  power.  The 
nobles  of  England  who  forced  King  John  at  Run- 
nymede  to  grant  to  the  nation  the  recognition  of  its 
liberties,  known]  as  Magna]  Charta,  were  generally 
obliged  to  make  their  marks  upon  the  ennobling  doc- 
ument, being  unable  to  sign  their  names,  and  it  need 
hardly  be  said  that  those  who  lacked  the  clerkly  abil- 
19 


290 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


ity  to  write  their  autographs  were  wanting  in  the 
capacity  to  read.  The  cultivation  of  scholarship,  such 
as  it  was,  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  church,  with 
few  exceptions,  until  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
when  printing  presses  and  movable  types  had  given  to 
the  western  nations  the  art  preservative  of  all  arts  — 
printing.  Norway  had  discovered  America  through 
the  enterprise  of  Eric  the  Red,  and  had  attempted  its 
settlement  through  the  agency  of  Liefr,  son  of  Eric; 
but,  in  the  decadence  which  was  now  realized,  Amer- 
ica was  no  longer  an  object  worthy  of  an  effort,  and 
the  information  gradually  ceased  to  have  a place  in 
the  popular  mind.  Happily,  it  was  preserved  in  the 
Icelandic  records,  at  which  we  have  glanced,  and  also 
in  the  Vatican  at  Rome,  where  historians  may  yet 
unearth  great  wonders. 

There  was  little  worthy  of  [note  in  Norwegian 
history  pure  and  simple  until  the  Reformation,  which 
had  been  attempted  by  John  Wycliffe  in  England, 
by  John  Huss,  Jerome  of  Prague,  and  John  Ziska  in 
Bohemia,  by  Savonarola  in  Florence,  and  others  in- 
numerable in  smaller  degree,  was  consummated  in  the 
sixteenth  century  by  Luther,  Melancthon,  Zuinglius 
and  their  compeers  in  Germany  and  Switzerland, 
and  then  within  twenty  years  from  1536  the  coun- 
try became  thoroughly  protestant.  National  thought 
occupied  a higher  plane  from  that  era,  and,  under 
the  Lutheran  Church,  education  of  the  faculties  be- 
gan in  a sense  that  had  long  been  foreign  to  the 
hierarchy  of  the  kingdom. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


291 


It  is  perhaps  wrong  to  speak  of  Norway  as  a 
kingdom,  considering  that  the  nation  had  long  ceased 
to  enjoy  a separate  existence.  From  the  days  of 
Margaret  and  the  Union  of  Calmar,  the  interests 
of  Norway  came  to  be  treated  as  of  secondary  im- 
portance whenever  they  conflicted  with  Denmark, 
except  during  the  reign  of  Christian  IV.,  from  the 
latter  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  to  nearly  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  the  Danish 
king  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Norway,  rebuild- 
ing Christiania  and  founding  Christiansand.  This 
reign  was  an  oasis  in  a vast  desert  of  oppression, 
and  the  king  was  entirely  in  sympathy  with  the 
protestantism  of  his  subjects.  We  find  him  in  1625 
assuming  the  command  of  the  protestant  armies,  in 
the  thirty  years’  war  against  the  forces  of  the  Em- 
peror of  Austria,  with  whom  nearly  the  whole  of 
catholic  Germany  co-operated  in  the  endeavor  to 
minimise  and  if  possible  erase  the  more  rational  faith. 
The  defeat  sustained  by  Christian  at  Lutter  in  1626, 
at  the  hands  of  the  veteran  general,  Tilly,  did 
not  drive  the  Scandinavian  races  from  the  front  in 
the  war  for  freedom  of  thought;  for  Lutzen,  where 
Gustavus  Adolphus  fell  in  the  hour  of  victory  which 
his  matchless  genius  as  a warrior  had  organized,  saw 
the  great  Wallenstein  utterly  defeated  only  six  years 
later,  and  the  great  peril  of  protestanism  averted  by 
Scandinavian  courage  and  magnanimity.  Christian 
IV.  was  an  able  and  wise  monarch,  subtle  in  coun- 
cil, intrepid  in  the  field  and  just  to  the  country 


292 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


which  too  many  sovereigns  of  Denmark  before  his 
time  and  since,  until  this  century,  have  persisted  in 
treating  as  a conquered  province.  Denmark  found  in 
him  a prince  of  exceptional  qualities;  coming  to  the 
throne  when  only  eleven  years  old,  he  reigned  sixty 
years  with  honor  and  profit  to  his  realm,  and  be- 
queathed to  his  successors  union  and  strength.  Un- 
happily for  all  concerned,  the  wisdom  that  distin- 
guished Christian  the  IV.  was  not  the  chief  char- 
acteristic of  those  who  came  to  the  throne  of  Den- 
mark after  him,  so  that  the  eighteenth  century  was 
an  era  of  great  injustice  and  oppression  to  my  na- 
tive land.  Frederick  VI.  changed  the  tenor  of 
events  in  some  degree  in  1808,  when  he  came  to 
the  throne  of  Denmark  after  the  Napoleonic  wars 
had  revolutionized  the  dominions  of  Europe,  and  it 
had  become  necessary  to  recognize  the  rights  of 
every  community.  The  possession  of  Norway  as 
an  addition  to  the  crown  of  Sweden  was  guar- 
anteed to  Bernadotte  by  England  and  Russia  as  an 
inducement  to  that  general  and  marshal  of  France 
to  join  the  coalition  against  his  imperial  master,  and 
the  story  of  shame  is  too  well  known  to  need  re- 
capitulation. Norway  was  properly  indignant  at 
such  a high-handed  procedure  as  a reward  of  the 
treason  of  Bernadotte,  but  the  strength  of  the  com- 
munity was  not  sufficient  to  ward  off  the  blow, 
although  a brave  defence  was  attempted.  One 
good  consequence  arose  from  that  endeavor  in  the 
recognition  of  the  right  of  Norway  to  independent 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


293 


government  by  its  own  legislatures  under  the  almot 
nominal  leadership  of  the  king  of  Sweden. 

Sweden  is  not  forgotten  in  our  family  circle,  for 
it  is  one  section  of  the  Scandinavian  people,  and  the 
race  is  one.  The  Eastern  part  of  the  Scandinavian 
peninsula  is  the  home  of  the  Swedes,  or  Svea. 
Norway  is  north  and  west,  the  Baltic  and  the  Gulf 
if  Bothnia  are  to  the  east,  Finland  is  to  the  northwest, 
the  Baltic  is  to  the  south,  and  to  the  southwest  the 
Skager  Rack,  the  Cattegat  and  the  Sound  are  na- 
tural boundaries.  From  north  to  south  the  greatest 
length  is  nine  hundred  and  seventy  miles,  and  from 
east  to  west  the  greatest  width  is  two  hundred 
miles  at  the  utmost;  the  population  being  about 
four  million  five  hundred  thousand  souls.  The 
main  chain  of  the  Scandinavian  range  of  mountains 
divides  Sweden  from  Norway,  and  the  Norwegians, 
jealous  of  their  bounds,  maintain  a wide  avenue 
along  the  range  through  the  forest,  with  monu- 
ments of  stone  at  regular  intervals.  The  Laps  and 
Finns,  the  aborigines  of  Sweden,  were  driven  out 
by  the  Goths  from  the  Southern  portion  of  the 
country  which  they  settled,  giving  thereto  the  name 
of  Gottland.  The  god  Odin  is  said  to  have  led 
the  Svea  from  Germany,  and  to  have  turned  aside 
from  the  Gothic  colony  — as  a kindred  people  — to 
drive  the  aborigines  from  their  second  home.  Odin 
occupies  in  Scandinavian  mythology  the  place  that 
is  assigned  to  Zeus  in  the  Greek  as  creator  of  the 
world,  father  of  the  gods,  holding  the  supreme 


294 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


power  and  being  possessed  of  all  knowledge.  The 
V alkyries  were  specially  under  his  control,  and  in 
battles  his  decision  gave  victory  irrespective  of  strong 
battalions  on  which  Napoleon  ostentatiously  relied. 
The  decision  in  councils  of  the  gods,  and  the  strat- 
egy to  accomplish  every  end,  emanated  from  Odin, 
to  whose  fame  the  German  scientist,  Baron  Von 
Reichenbach  did  homage  in  calling  a peculiar  iri- 
descence, which  only  some  few  people  can  see,  about 
the  arms  of  a magnet  and  in  strongly  magnetic 
persons,  Odic  force.  The  field  was  not  fertile,  in 
the  faith  of  our  ancestors,  unless  Odin  gave  his 
blessing,  nor  could  the  winds  and  waves  be  propi- 
tiated unless  the  ruler  willed  success  to  his  wor- 
shipers. The  vagueness  that  belongs  to  every 
mythology,  separating  with  a broad  line  of  demarca- 
tion the  imaginings  of  men  from  revelation,  can  be 
found,  of  course,  in  the  mythology  of  Scandinavia 
and  Germany.  Odin  the  supremely  wise  was  in- 
debted to  Mimer’s  fountain  for  his  inspiration,  having 
drunk  at  the  stream  by  special  favor,  and  left  one 
of  his  eyes  in  pledge  for  the  accommodation;  so 
that  Odin  is  always  represented  with  one  eye.  As 
in  Egyptian  mythology  the  several  qualities  and 
functions  of  intellect  were  represented  by  different 
animals,  or  by  parts  of  animals,  as,  for  instance,  the 
head  of  a bull,  the  wing  of  a bird,  the  serpent 
swallowing  its  tail  to  typify  eternal  duration,  and  so 
on  — a process  absolutely  necessary  where  arbitrary 
descriptive  characters  were  unknown,  as  all  minds, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


however  barbarous,  could  gather  some  ideas  from 
images  and  pictures  of  living  things  — so  among  the 
Scandinavian  races,  the  functions  of  the  eternal  mind 
were  typified  by  animal  life.  Two  ravens  sat 
perched  on  the  shoulders  of  Odin:  Huginn  as  the 
perceptive  faculty,  and  Muninn  as  memory.  They 
were  supposed  to  fly  every  day  through  all  the  uni- 
verse, and  to  return  to  his  shoulders,  whispering  in 
his  ears  the  secret  things  of  which  they  had  become 
possessed  in  their  flight.  We,  requiring  no  such  ma- 
chinery to  convey  a far  grander  thought,  say  only  that 
the  Creator  of  the  universe  is  all-seeing  and  every- 
where present,  as  well  as  all-wise  and  omnipotent. 
Zeus  was  supposed  by  the  Greeks  to  sit  enthroned 
in  never  varying  brightness,  an  idea  compatible 
with  the  climatic  character  of  the  Grecian  Archi- 
pelago; but  the  more  hardy  Norseman  could  not  be 
satisfied  with  a listless  and  contented  deity,  hence 
Odin,  the  god  of  the  elements,  holding  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  was  rep- 
resented in  his  mantle  of  cloud  riding  through  illim- 
itable space  on  a horse  with  eight  feet,  and  hold- 
ing in  his  hands  the  lightning  with  which  offenders 
might  be  stricken  in  the  moment  of  his  wrath. 
The  mythology  which  would  in  time  have  equaled 
that  of  the  Greeks  in  beauty,  as  already  it  has  trans- 
cended the  former  in  power,  was,  happily  for  the 
race,  dwarfed  and  arrested  by  early  contact  in  the 
superior  minds  with  a purer  faith  in  Christ;  hence 
the  student  of  to-day  can  see  in  the  learned  shad- 


296 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


owings  of  these  ancients  of  the  earth,  yet  moist  with 
the  dewy  freshness  of  the  world’s  morning,  the  men- 
tal endeavors  of  untaught  men  to  fashion  a First 
Great  Cause  equal  to  the  wondrous  works  of  crea- 
tion. The  universality  of  such  efforts  among  all 
peoples,  however  remote  from  the  true  light,  and 
however  crude  and  mysterious  the  outcome  in  many 
instances,  cannot  be  without  significance  for  the  phi- 
losopher who  trembles  on  the  verge  of  atheism. 

It  is  very  probable  that  the  true  Odin  was  not 
so  great  a man  as  Moses,  the  law-giver,  and  far 
below  him  in  that  he  lacked  a mission  from  on  high, 
but  yet  a warrior  of  such  eminent  powers  and  favored 
with  so  many  successes  that  his  followers  gave  him 
credit  for  supernatural  ability,  and,  as  the  myth- 
forming process  advanced,  raised  him  by  impercepti- 
ble degrees,  until  he  filled  their  heavens  as  well 
as  their  earth.  The  Saxon  god  Wodin,  or  Wotan, 
and  the  old  German  Wuotan,  from  whom  we  have 
named  Wodensday,  or  Wednesday,  is  clearly  the 
same  personage  with  the  Scandinavian  Odin ; and 
thus,  if  not  otherwise,  it  would  be  easy  to  trace 
through  their  mythologies  the  race  relationship 
between  the  peoples  on  the  shores  of  the  Baltic 
and  those  who  remained  in  the  forests  of  Germany 
or  migrated  to  Gaul  and  Britain  to  build  up  the 
enduring  civilization  in  whose  light  Christianity  is 
the  sunshine  of  warmth  and  brightness.  We  could 
not  faithfully  present  the  story  of  our  people  without 
describing  the  paganism  by  which  they  were  trying 


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297 


to  unfold  a conception  of  God  the  Father,  but  the 
presentment  is  made  without  any  vain  endeavor  to 
make  it  appear  that  the  rude  imagery  of  man  is 
better  than  the  word  of  God. 

After  the  death  of  Odin,  an  event  which  might 
have  given  a fatal  blow  to  the  pretensions  of  his 
disciples,  the  government  was  administered  in  his 
name  by  the  high  priests,  who  were  in  charge  of 
the  temple  at  Sigtuna;  and  from  that  hierarchy 
came  a ruling  class  which  in  course  of  time  lorded 
it  alike  over  Goth  and  Swede,  taking  the  lead  in  all 
councils  as  great  kings,  while  the  lesser  chiefs  were 
regarded  as  smaa  kongar . Upp-sala,  or  the  High 
Halls,  was  built  by  Frey  Yngve,  son  of  the  Pontiff 
Njord,  the  immediate  successor  of  Odin,  on  the  ruins 
of  the  first  temple  at  Sigtuna,  and  he  also  was 
placed  by  his  admiring  people  among  the  gods 
when  death  took  him  away.  The  royal  line  of 
Ynglingar  was  founded  by  him,  and  is  supposed 
to  have  ended  with  Ingjald  Illraada,  the  Bad  Ruler, 
some  time  before  the  eighth  century.  There  is  no 
absolute  certainty  in  dealing  with  the  traditions  of  a 
people,  but  there  is  always  some  seed  of  truth  in 
folk  lore,  however  ancient  and  however  vague. 

Olaf  was  called  the  Lap  King,  because  being  an 
infant  in  arms  when  he  first  received  the  homage 
of  the  princes,  that  incident  afforded  a margin  for 
a humorous  allusion  to  the  aborigines.  With  Olaf 
authentic  history  may  be  said  to  begin  in  Sweden, 
in  903.  The  interval  from  the  death  of  the  Bad 


298 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Ruler  has  but  little  light  even  from  tradition,  but 
it  is  believed  that  Christianity  was  introduced  into 
Sweden  in  829,  by  a monk  of  Corbie,  named 
Ansgar,  who  found  the  old  paganism  too  firmly 
imbedded  to  be  disturbed  in  any  perceptible  degree 
by  his  zeal  and  devotion.  Nearly  two  centuries 
after  his  work  began,  Olaf  embraced  Christianity 
and  founded  a bishopric  at  Skara,  but  the  people 
held  firm  to  their  old  beliefs  and  practices  nearly 
a century  longer.  Edmund  the  Old  was  the  last 
king  of  the  Uppsala  line,  and  he  died  in  1055,  hav- 
ing been  mainly  distinguished  as  a persecutor  of  the 
Christians. 

The  Goths  made  war  upon  the  Swedes  after  the 
death  of  Edmund,  and  we  may  be  sure  that  the 
conquerors  had  the  assistance  of  the  priests  in  their 
upheaval,  as  we  find  Stenkil,  a Gothic  chief  and 
Christian,  made  king  over  both  tribes  as  the  out- 
come of  the  struggle.  Anarchy  ruled  for  nearly  a 
century,  while  paganism  contended  for  the  mastery, 
but  the  embattled  hosts  of  heaven  were  on  the 
side  of  the  cross,  so  that  there  was  no  possibility 
of  ultimate  victory  on  the  part  of  the  old  faith. 
Bryant  said  with  force: 

“Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again; 

The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 

But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  with  pain, 

And  dies  among  his  worshipers.” 

When  the  contest  inclined  to  favor  the  Swedes, 
in  the  twelfth  century,  we  find  a Christian  prince 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


299 


coming  to  the  front  in  person  of  Sverker  I.,  in  1135. 
He  reigned  twenty  years,  with  honor  to  the  nation, 
and  manifold  advantages  were  reaped  from  his  admin- 
istration, restoring  prosperity  and  order,  establishing 
Christianity  on  a broad  basis,  and  giving  correspond- 
ing development  to  law  and  justice. 

Erik  the  Saint,  and  cousin  of  Sverker,  was  his 
successor,  and  followed  boldly  in  his  footsteps.  The 
cross  was  firmly  planted  in  all  parts  of  his  domain,  the 
Finns  were  conquered  and  converted  at  the  sword’s 
point,  the  laws  were  amended  and  better  applied, 
and  his  reign,  of  five  years’  duration,  has  left  as 
deep  a furrow  for  good  as  many  able  monarchs 
have  accomplished  in  three  decades.  The  rule  of 
his  immediate  successors  was  uneventful,  so  com- 
pletely had  order  been  settled,  and  the  church  grew 
in  power  every  day.  This  fact  was  happy  for  the 
nation,  for  the  monks  were  full  of  zeal  in  good 
works  at  that  time  in  Sweden,  and  in  the  thirteenth 
century  we  find  them  not  only  fulminating  the  terrors 
of  divine  justice  against  evil  doers,  repressing  outrage 
and  disorder  by  their  influence  and  example,  but  be- 
coming the  teachers  of  the  people  in  useful  arts 
and  industries.  In  many  countries  already,  the  mon- 
asteries had  become  sinks  of  iniquity,  in  which  the 
lives  of  honest  abbots  who  dared  demand  faithfulness 
and  labor  were  unsafe,  but  in  Sweden  a better  rule 
prevailed,  and  when  the  best  known  methods  of  tilling 
the  ground  were  desiderated,  or  the  people  wished 
to  plant  gardens,  prepare  salt  for  daily  use  and  sale, 


300 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


build  roads  and  bridges  to  facilitate  commerce  and 
travel,  or  to  construct  water  mills  that  would  utilize 
the  powers  of  the  river  and  mountain  stream  in  the 
preparation  of  grain  for  food,  the  monks  were  the 
great  civilizers  of  the  day,  and  their  undertakings 
conferred  blessings  as  well  as  won  them.  We  are  no 
monkish  chroniclers,  but  while  we  do  not  close  our 
eyes  against  the  excesses  which  in  many  lands  were 
too  apparent  to  be  gainsaid,  it  is  our  duty  to  speak 
of  the  monasteries  in  Sweden  at  the  date  indicated, 
as  among  the  most  valuable  of  all  the  native  insti- 
tutions. The  monks  had  traveled  from  different  parts 
of  Europe,  the  habits  of  the  order  and  their  well- 
known  poverty  being  their  safeguards  against  outrage 
and  robbery,  and  their  passports  to  the  knowledge 
that  had  been  developed  in  all  the  fields  of  gainful 
industry.  Indolent,  luxurious  creatures,  desirous  only 
to  feed  on  fat  things,  found  no  temptation  to  leave 
their  abodes  in  sunny  Southern  lands  for  the  rigors 
of  the  North,  and  in  that  way  Norway  escaped 
from  many  plagues  that  were  experienced  in  the  more 
temperate  climes,  where  reformers  tried  in  vain  to 
purify  the  lives  of  the  so-called  religious  for  more 
than  a brief  season.  It  was  fortunate  for  the  king- 
dom that  the  monasteries  in  Sweden  were  centers  of 
industry,  and  the  monks  willing  teachers,  skilled  in  the 
useful  arts,  competent  to  improve  the  cuisine  of  the 
humble  cottage,  to  facilitate  the  operations  of  the 
workshops,  to  minister  in  some  degree  to  diseased 
bodies  with  herbs  and  simples,  as  well  as  to  exalt 


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301 


Christ  before  the  eyes  of  those  afflicted  with  spiritual 
maladies. 

The  Folkungar  line  commenced  in  1250  with  Vab 
demar,  a powerful  chief  of  that  race,  and  he  reigned 
vigorously  for  more  than  half  a century.  His 
brother  Magnus  succeeded  him  in  1302,  augment- 
ing the  kingly  power  all  through  his  reign  for  the 
protection  of  the  people  against  the  nobles.  His 
added  title,  Ladu-Laas,  or  Barnlock,  indicates  that 
the  granaries  of  needy  husbandmen  were  not  more 
safe  against  the  rapacity  of  the  privileged  class  in 
Sweden  than  in  the  rest  of  Europe  until  the  mon- 
arch assumed  his  proper  position  as  the  defender 
of  the  weak  against  the  strong.  Could  the  history 
of  feudalism  in  Europe  be  fully  written  with  the 
completest  insight,  it  would  be  found  that  the  down- 
fall of  feudal  power  in  every  realm  was  mainly 
due  to  unscrupulous  exactions  by  the  nobles,  forcing 
the  commons  into  a good  understanding  with  the 
sovereign,  and  an  increase  of  kingly  power,  until 
the  spoilers  were  made  amenable  to  law  or  were 
erased  from  the  earth  in  rude  attempts  at  civilization. 

The  King  died  in  1290,  and  for  nearly  thirty 
years  his  three  sons  contested  the  crown  of  Sweden; 
but  at  length,  [in  1319,  the  grandson  of  the  last- 
named  king,  Magnus  Smek,  ascended  the  throne,  if 
this  is  not  too  muscular  a method  of  expressing 
the  accession  of  a child  three  years  old.  Through  his 
mother  he  acceded  to  the  throne  of  Norway  in 
1320.  Later,  marrying  his  son  to  Margaret  of  Den- 


302 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


mark,  he  gave  that  son  Hakon  the  throne  of  Nor- 
way. Relying  upon  his  dynastic  strength  in  so 
many  alliances,  the  king  thought  he  could  abolish 
the  Swedish  Senate,  but  much  to  his  surprise  that 
body  deposed  him  and  chose  in  his  place  Albert 
of  Mecklenburg  as  king.  Albert  was  defeated  and 
expelled  by  Margaret  of  Denmark,  and  the  Union 
of  Calmar  brought  the  three  kingdoms  under  one 
sovereign  in  1397.  This  combination  continued  in 
force  for  more  than  a century,  but  it  was  several 
times  imperiled,  and  more  especially  by  the  revolt 
of  the  Swedes  under  Engelbrecht  Engelbrechtson, 
who  was  only  defeated  by  the  arm  of  an  assassin, 
a Swedish  noble.  This  was  in  the  reign  of  Erik 
of  Pomerania,  nephew  and  successor  of  Margaret, 
who  died  in  1412,  and  three  years  after  the  death 
of  the  illustrious  rebel,  Erik  was  deposed,  in  1439, 
and  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  Carl  Knudson.  An- 
archy was  the  rule  in  Sweden,  if  misrule  can  be 
so  dignified  as  to  have  rule  for  more  than  seventy 
years,  until  Christian  II.  ascended  the  Danish  throne, 
in  1513.  Anarchy  was  repressed  with  a strong 
hand  by  the  new  king,  but  his  severities  drove  the 
Swedes  into  rebellion,  led  by  Gustavus  Vasa.  The 
career  of  Gustavus  Vasa  might  well  have  inspired 
the  poet.  Descended  from  the  old  Swedish  kings 
of  the  Uppsala  line,  he  was  the  son  of  Eric, 
Duke  of  Gripsholm,  and  was  just  twenty  years  old 
when  called  by  cruel  circumstances  into  the  service 
of  his  country  as  the  leader  in  a revolution.  The 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


303 


Danish  domination  was  unpalatable  to  Sweden,  and 
long  had  been,  but  the  youth  entered  the  public 
service  in  the  joint  kingdom  in  1514,  was  sent  as 
a hostage  for  the  safety  of  the  King  of  Denmark 
four  years  later,  and  was  treacherously  sent  to 
Denmark  loaded  down  with  irons.  Escaping  from 
that  kingdom  in  1519,  he  betook  himself  to  Ger- 
many, where  he  listened  to  the  eloquence  of  Luther 
and  became  one  of  his  enthusiastic  adherents.  Im- 
mediately after  the  coronation  of  Christian  II.  that 
monarch  conceived  the  idea  that  his  kingdom  might 
best  be  consolidated  by  an  act  of  sanguinary  treach- 
ery, and  he  caused  the  assassination  in  cold  blood  of 
ninety-four  nobles,  including  among  them  the  father 
of  Gustavus  Vasa.  This  was  in  1520,  and  the 
young  reformer,  fired  with  indignation  in  which  pat- 
riotism was  reinforced  by  filial  love,  roused  the  Dale- 
carlians  to  rise  in  revolt,  and  with  their  aid  won  the 
battle  of  Westeraas  in  1521,  became  administrator  of 
his  native  land,  and  soon  afterwards  king,  founding 
the  line  from  which  sprung  Gustavus  Adolphus,  the 
finest  disciplinarian  and  military  tactician  of  his  age. 
His  coronation  dates  from  1523,  and  four  years  later 
he  openly  professed  the  Lutheran  faith,  making  it 
the  State  religion  in  1528.  He  was  a man  of  fine 
qualities,  but  extremely  severe,  and  there  were  many 
domestic  wars  in  consequence  of  the  antagonism 
which  the  reactionary  party  found  latent  among  the 
peasantry.  His  wars  with  Russia  were  such  as  were 
forced  upon  him  by  the  aggressive  policy  of  the 


304 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Muscovites,  and  in  all  his  statecraft  he  was  an  up- 
right and  able  ruler. 

The  reigns  of  the  immediate  descendants  of  Gus- 
tavus  Vasa  were  unimportant.  The  good  qualities 
of  a sire  will  sometimes  disappear  for  one  or  more 
generations,  and  then  reappear  with  potency  through 
many  successions.  The  eldest  son,  Erik,  XIV., 
reigned  only  eight  years,  and  was  hopelessly  insane 
some  years  before  his  death,  in  1568.  His  brother, 
Johann  III.,  reigned  twenty-four  years,  but  was  not 
distinguished,  and  his  son,  Sigismund,  King  of  Po- 
land since  1587,  would  have  restored  Roman  Cathol- 
icism when  he  came  to  the  throne,  in  1592,  but  that 
the  people  could  not  be  manipulated  by  the  Jesuits 
as  he  was.  Having  weaned  the  affections  of  his 
subjects  by  residing  in  Poland,  he  was  deposed  by 
them  and  the  throne  given  to  his  uncle,  Charles  IX., 
son  of  Gustavus  Vasa,  and  a monarch  capable  of 
great  administration. 

Gustavus  Adolphus,  son  of  Charles  IX.,  and  grand- 
son of  Gustavus  Vasa,  was  only  seventeen  years  old 
when  his  father  died,  in  1611,  but  he  had  already 
seen  service.  The  nation  was  at  war  with  Denmark, 
Russia  and  Poland  when  he  came  to  the  throne.  His 
genius  turned  every  circumstance  to  advantage.  Den- 
mark was  detached  from  the  war-like  combination  by 
a treaty,  and  then  the  more  remote  foes  were  chas- 
tised until  Russia  gladly  made  a disadvantageous 
peace,  and  Polish  Russia  overran,  called  Wallenstein, 
and  the  Emperor  Ferdinand  to  the  rescue.  The 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


305 


deeds  of  the  great  leader  in  the  thirty  years’  war 
sound  like  the  story  of  the  seven  champions  of 
Christendom,  so  brave,  and  yet  so  wise,  was  every 
movement.  The  cause  of  Protestantism  seemed  lost 
on  the  continent  of  Europe  when  the  King  of  Swe- 
den, with  his  little  army  of  veterans,  landed  at  Use- 
dom  in  1630.  He  did  not  expect  to  return  alive,  so, 
before  setting  "sail  with  his  fifteen  thousand  warriors, 
he  settled  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom,  appointed  a 
regency,  gave  his  daughter,  four  years  old,  in  charge 
to  the  estates,  and  set  out  like  a knight  errant  of  the 
highest  order  to  peril  his  life  for  religion.  He  was 
ridiculed  by  his  enemies,  called  a “ Snow  King,”  as 
though  he  might  be  expected  to  melt  away,  and  the 
protestant  leaders  whom  he  had  come  to  help  were 
cold  as  charity  to  his  advances,  lest  he  should  be  over- 
whelmingly defeated,  and  they  trampled  under  toot 
for  having  given  him  countenance  and  succor.  To 
the  surprise  of  all  classes,  that  God-fearing  little 
band,  perfect  in  faith  and  in  discipline  as  Crom- 
well’s Ironsides,  pushed  on  from  victory  to  victory, 
respecting  every  man’s  rights,  and  defeating  their  en- 
emies at  every  blow.  The  battle  of  Leipzig,  in 
which  the  great  General  Tilly  was  defeated,  showed 
the  protestant  princes,  and  the  catholics,  also,  that 
there  was  no  king  of  snow  in  command,  unless  the 
snow  was  an  avalanche,  capable  of  overwhelming  all 
opposition.  Had  the  king  been  ambitious  of  per- 
sonal gains,  he  might  have  captured  Vienna  without 

another*  blow,  as  the  army  of  Ti.lv  had  been  utterly 
20 


306 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


routed,  so  that  hardly  two  thousand  men  remained 
in  one  body,  and  all  the  material  of  war  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  heroic  monarch;  but  his  care  was  for 
religious  freedom,  so  he  left  the  easier  tasks  to  his 
tardy  colleagues,  and  drove  on  in  search  of  other  foe- 
men  worthy  of  his  steel. 

The  movements  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  were  rapid 
and  decisive.  Leaving  Vienna  as  of  no  moment,  he 
drove  the  Spaniards  from  the  Palatinate,  returned  to 
Nuremburg,  hailed  there  as  the  deliverer  of  Ger- 
many, crossed  the  Danube,  driving  Tilly,  with  another 
imperial  aimy,  before  him;  then  passed  the  Lech,  in 
spite  ot  Tilly’s  force  and  generalship,  compelled  a 
general  engagement,  in  which  that  commander  was 
defeated  and  slain,  advanced  to  and  captured  Mu- 
nich, and  became  master  of  Bavaria.  The  Emperor 
Ferdinand,  who  had  disgraced  and  dismissed  Wallen- 
stein because  of  his  insolence,  ambition  and  rapacity, 
felt  himself  now  in  danger  of  being  ai^hilated  by  the 
protestant  hero,  and,  to  save  himself  from  that  possi- 
bility, he  submitted  to  the  demands  of  the  invincible 
Wallenstein.  The  Emperor  conferred  upon  him  su- 
preme power  over  the  army,  consenting  to  abdicate 
his  own  right  to  command  the  troops  in  any  matter 
and  under  any  circumstances,  in  consideration  of  Wal- 
lenstein resuming  control.  The  Emperor  breathed 
again,  having  given  to  his  commander-in-chief  au- 
thority which  the  traitor  had  resolved  to  use  for 
the  undoing  of  his  imperial  master.  The  defeat  of 
Gustavus  Adolphus  was  now  assured,  as  there  was 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


307 


no  commander  alive  the  peer  of  Wallenstein.  The 
tactics  of  the  rival  commanders  — both  brave,  both 
able  beyond  compare,  engrossed  hourly  attention  from 
the  world.  Each  knew  the  other  to  be  a master  in 
the  science  of  war,  and  they  fought,  the  one  for  the 
gratification  of  his  own  ambition  and  greed,  the  other 
for  an  open  Bible  in  Europe  and  freedom  to  worship 
God. 

Gustavus  might  again  have  fallen  upon  Vienna,  and 
postponed  the  deadly  conflict,  but  he  was  the  soldier 
of  the  cross,  and  could  not  turn  aside  to  gain  profit 
or  renown.  Lutzen  was  before  his  mind’s  eye,  with 
Wallenstein  strongly  entrenched  on  the  plain,  so  to 
that  goal  of  his  life  work  the  Christian  hero  mod- 
estly addressed  his  steps.  Wallenstein,  confident^  in 
the  strength  of  his  position,  awaited  the  attack  of 
his  antagonist,  and  was  overwhelmingly  defeated,  as 
Tilly  had  been,  although,  unfortunately  for  Europe 
and  the  world,  the  protestant  hero  was  slain,  falling 
covered  with  wounds  in  leading  a cavalry  charge 
for  the  emancipation  of  humanity  from  the  thralldom 
of  priestcraft. 

The  affairs  of  Sweden  were  controlled  by  the 
Chancellor  Oxenstiern  in  the  absence  of  his  royal 
master,  and  after  his  death,  until  Christiana,  the 
daughter  of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  had  arrived  at  years 
of  discretion,  if  that  indiscret  lady  may  be  said  to 
have  ever  arrived  at  years  of  discretion.  At  first 
she  gave  excellent  promise  that  she  would  prove 
worthy  of  her  sire,  but  her  life  was  a disappoint- 


308 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


ment  to  her  friends;  she  resigned  the  cares  of  state 
to  her  cousin,  Charles  Gustavus,  wandered  about 
Europe  with  a queenly  retinue,  living  mainly  for 
pleasure  and  dissipation,  until  in  Rome  she  abjured 
the  faith  of  her  fathers,  and  died  in  the  ancient 
fold  in  the  old-time  sacred  city,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three. 

The  wars  of  Charles  X.  were  brilliant  and  suc- 
cessful, but  they  were  wars  of  ambition,  such  as 
must  in  the  end  impoverish  the  conqueror.  Sweden 
should  be  supreme  in  the  Baltic;  that  was  a noble 
resolve,  but  his  genius  for  conquest  stretched  be- 
yond that  and  compelled  interference  by  other  powers. 
He  invaded  Poland,  and  captured  Warsaw  in  person, 
being  recognized  as  King  of  Poland  by  the  army 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  nation,  but  a coalition 
of  the  other  powers,  led  by  the  Czar,  the  Emperor 
Leopold  and  the  King  of  Denmark,  made  his  vic- 
tories barren.  He  subdued  the  great  elector,  Duke 
of  Brandenburg,  and  made  him  his  vassal,  but  was 
compelled  to  abandon  all  his  doubtful  advantages  by 
subsequent  treaties.  He  overran  Bremen,  Holstein 
and  Schleswig,  and  held  Copenhagen  at  his  mercy, 
but  France  and  England  compelled  him  to  make 
peace  with  no  other  gain  than  the  sovereignty  of 
the  principal  islands.  Renewing  the  war  on  an 
unreasonable  pretext,  he  was  once  again  dictating 
terms  to  Copenhagen,  when  the  Dutch  sent  a fleet 
to  release  the  Danes;  the  Duke  of  Brandenburg 
drove  the  Swedes  from  Jutland,  and  the  maritime 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


309 


powers  were  resolved  to  stop  the  war,  when  Charles 
died,  in  1660. 

Sweden  under  Charles  XI.  was  despoiled  of  much 
territory,  but  Louis  XIV.  intervened  on  behalf  of 
the  kingdom,  and  compelled  the  restitution  of  the 
conquered  places ; yet  she  came  out  of  the  war  in 
a dilapidated  condition,  her  fleet  destroyed,  finances 
ruined,  and  a doubt  entertained  also  whether  the 
government  could  hold  its  position  unless  foreign 
aid  was  obtained.  Under  such  circumstances  a coup 
d'etat , as  the  French  would  call  it,  made  the  power 
of  the  king  despotic,  and  the  outcome  of  a series 
of  wars  for  conquest  was  the  loss  of  liberty  at  home. 
Charles  XI.  was  an  able  and  very  careful  adminis- 
trator, and  under  his  statesmanship  Sweden  so  largely 
recuperated  that  when  he  died,  in  1697,  the  coun- 
try was  once  more  in  a condition  to  assert  her 
supremacy  in  the  Baltic. 

The  death  of  Charles  XI.  and  the  accession  of 
his  son,  Charles  XII.,  a boy  of  fifteen,  suggested 
to  many  of  the  neighboring  powers  that  the  oppor- 
tunity had  arrived  for  depriving  a weak  monarch 
of  much  of  his  territory.  Poland,  Saxony  and 
Denmark  were  the  parties  to  the  compact  of  spoli- 
ation, and  the  Duke  of  Holstein,  brother-in-law  of 
Charles,  was  the  first  person  attacked.  To  the  as- 
tonishment of  the  confederates  the  young  king 
strengthened  himself  by  treaties  with  England  and 
Holland,  and  then  making  a descent  on  Denmark, 
compelled  that  country  to  sue  for  peace  with  such 


310 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


rapidity  and  decision  that  the  war  was  ended  almost 
before  it  had  well  begun.  Denmark  paid  an  in- 
demnity to  the  Duke  of  Holstein,  and  there  was 
no  longer  a belief  that  Sweden  was  weak  enough 
to  be  plucked.  The  Czar  of  Russia,  Peter  the 
Great,  was  in  the  coalition  against  Sweden,  and 
Charles  turned  to  him,  now  that  he  stood  almost 
single-handed,  with  a keen  relish  for  his  work.  His 
operations  against  Peter  were  eminently  successful, 
so  that  that  monarch  was  compelled  to  raise  the 
siege  of  Narva  and  retire  before  an  inferior  force. 

Saxony  and  Poland  were  next  manipulated,  with 
the  ease  of  a master  mind.  Defeating  the  Saxon 
troops  near  Riga,  Courland  was  occupied,  Warsaw 
was  captured  without  a blow,  the  Poles  renounced 
the  king,  who  made  war  on  Sweden,  and  Charles, 
after  many  victories,  compelled  the  deposed  king  to 
become  a consenting  party  to  his  own  deposition. 
Peter  the  Great  was  again  in  the  field  with  a su- 
perior force,  and  he  was  almost  ubiquitous  in  his 
efforts  to  counteract  Charles,  inducing  the  Diet  of 
Poland  to  lepudiate  the  king  that  had  been  chosen 
under  the  patronage  of  Charles — King  Stanislaus  — 
and  overrunning  some  Swedish  possessions.  Charles 
XII.  marched  into  Poland  to  fight  his  adversary, 
but  Peter  avoided  a battle3  while  harassing  the 
enemy  by  all  means  in  his  power.  An  attempt  on 
Moscow  was  a failure,  because  the  intervening  coun- 
try had  been  converted  into  a desert,  fruitful  only  in 
cavalry  that  could  harass  and  would  not  fight.  An 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


31 1 

expedition  into  the  Ukraine,  in  search  of  promised 
reinforcements,  was  a disastrous  mistake.  The  forces 
sent  from  Sweden  to  succor  the  king  were  inter- 
cepted and  defeated,  and  at  length  the  king  himself 
was  wounded  and  utterly  defeated  at  Pultowa,  nearly 
half  his  army  dead  on  the  field,  and  his  best  sur- 
viving officers  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  end.  Charles,  wound- 
ed, fled  into  Turkey,  where  he  remained  until  forci- 
bly expelled  by  the  Sultan,  five  years  later.  Upon 
his  return  to  his  own  kingdom,  he  found  every  in- 
dication of  weakness  that  could  invite  an  enemy,  nor 
could  even  his  genius  for  war  regain  the  advantages 
that  had  been  lost.  When  he  was  killed,  by  a can- 
non ball,  at  Frederickshall,  in  Norway,  he  left  for 
his  nation  to  weep  over,  besides  the  fragments  of 
his  fame,  an  impoverished  treasury,  mutilated  terri- 
tories, an  utter  loss  of  prestige,  and  an  incapacity  to 
assert  a claim  to  consideration  among  the  leading 
powers  of  Europe.  The  game  of  warfare  is  one 
from  which  all  parties,  even  the  most  successful,  rise, 
if  they  can  rise  at  all,  as  losers,  and  it  has  been 
wisely  said  by  one  well  versed  in  the  science  and 
ethics  of  government: 

“ War  is  a game  which,  were  their  subjects  wise, 

Kings  would  not  play  at.” 

Spain  attempted  the  role  of  conqueror  when 
Charles  V.  added  to  the  crown  of  Castile  that  of 
Germany;  and,  after  the  emperor,  wearied  with  the 
march  of  life,  had  retired  to  a monastery,  his  son, 


312 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Phillip  II.,  found  his  armada  shattered,  his  ports 
blockaded  or  deserted,  his  people  dispirited  and  idle, 
and  the  nation  falling  gradually,  but  not  slowly,  to- 
ward the  tenth-rate  power  which  Alfonso  found  at 
the  commencement  of  his  reign.  France  began  a 
career  of  conquest  under  Louis  XIV.,  which  prom- 
ised him  unbounded  glory,  and  gratified  the  insane 
ambition  of  the  people.  A term  of  comparative 
peace  during  the  nonage  of  the  king,  with  Riche- 
lieu and  Mazarin  for  ministers,  with  Colbert  for 
Minister  of  Industry  and  Finance,  left  the  treasury 
almost  plethoric,  and,  when  victory  perched  upon  his 
banner  in  campaign  following  campaign,  the  vain 
monarch  took  to  himself  the  honor  that  belonged  to 
his  subjects’  resources.  The  system  of  conquest  was 
continued  until  Europe  coalesced  against  France,  and 
her  treasury  was  exhausted.  It  was  no  longer  pos- 
sible to  buy  victories  nor  to  win  them.  Ramifies 
and  Malplaquet  told  the  same  story  of  utter  exhaus- 
tion, and  then  the  conqueror,  seeing  himself  deserted 
by  the  phantom  fortune,  cried  aloud  in  his  agony 
of  spirit,  “ Has  God  forgotten  what  I have  done  for 
Him?”  There  came  another  era  of  conquest,  and 
France  once  more  worshiped  military  glory.  Na- 
poleon was  now  the  mighty  organizer  of  victory, 
and  the  world  has  seen  no  greater  since  the  days 
of  Alexander  the  Great.  Caesar,  who  said  “ Veni, 
vidi , vici ,”  with  perfect  truth,  for  his  genius  enabled 
him  to  come,  see  and  conquer,  had  not  such  nations 
to  contend  with  as  Napoleon  fought  with  the  ragged 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


313 


and  shoeless  armies  of  the  republic.  Yet  the  day 
came  when  the  wondrous  capacity  which  had  made 
the  sous  lieutenant,  general,  the  general,  first  consul, 
the  consul,  emperor;  and  that  parvenu  emperor,  a 
man  that  could  convert  crowned  heads  in  Europe 
into  a boat’s  crew  to  do  him  honor,  was  unable  to 
raise  an  army  to  defend  his  frontier  from  invasion, 
his  capital  from  capture,  and  himself  from  an  en- 
forced abdication  and  captivity.  There  will  corne  a 
time,  fraught  with  peril  for  this  country,  when  men 
will  esteem  conquest  so  highly,  and  the  glory  of 
possessions  extended  by  force  of  arms  so  much,  that 
civilians  will  see  their  liberties  imperilled  to  do  honor 
to  military  dictators.  In  such  a time  I pray  that  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  Scandinavian  race  in 
America  will  remember  that  the  chiefest  dangers  in 
wars  of  conquest  are  incurred  by  the  people  who 
supply  the  soldiers  and  cheer  on  the  conquerors. 
W ars  in  self  defence,  and  in  defence  of  liberty,  are 
sacred  duties,  from  which  no  patriot  dare  shrink; 
but  a war  of  conquest  is  a deadly  sin. 

The  death  of  Charles  XII.  was  the  funeral  knell 
of  the  greatness  of  Sweden,  but  the  country  re- 
mained, and  the  people,  with  all  the  possibilities  for 
prosperous  industries  and  homes  of  contentment  in 
which  mainly  the  triumph  of  civilization  must  be 
sought.  That  nation  is  happiest  in  which  dynasties 
are  unknown,  or  in  which  the  principle  of  loyalty 
fashions  an  ideal  sovereign  incapable  of  precipitating 
wars  or  making  a wreck  of  freedom.  Sweden  had 


314 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


not  yet  attained  that  blissful  condition,  but  in  learn- 
ing the  lesson  that  her  less  than  five  millions  of 
people  could  not  give  laws  to  the  globe  by  mere 
force  of  arms,  she  was  advancing.  Territories  taken 
from  the  kingdom  as  the  price  of  peace  were  ap- 
propriated by  Hanover,  Prussia,  Denmark  and 
Russia,  and  in  1743,  as  the  penalty  for  another  futile 
war,  Russia  added  to  her  dominions  the  remainder 
of  Sweden’s  provinces  east  of  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia. 
Foreign  courts  dictated  the  policy  that  the  country 
should  adopt,  and  the  nominal  sovereigns  of  the  land 
that  gave  Gustavus  Adolphus  to  Europe  were  little 
more  than  phantoms.  Gustavus  III.,  nephew  of 
Frederick  the  Great  of  Prussia,  sick  of  the  turmoil 
of  French  and  Russian  cabals  in  his  own  court, 
and  resolved  at  all  hazards  to  put  an  end  to  the 
schemes  of  the  Czar  for  the  enslavement  of  Swe- 
den, declared  war  against  the.  Muscovite  in  1771, 
and  the  Peace  of  Werela  vindicated  the  wisdom  of 
his  course.  The  wars  of  the  French  Revolution 
involved  constitutional,  territorial  and  dynastic  changes 
which  are  of  little  moment  here  except  as  they 
eventuated  in  recognizing  Norway  as  an  independ- 
ent monarchy,  with  her  rights  defined  and  guaran- 
teed by  a liberal  constitution.  Sweden  and  Norway, 
joined  yet  individualized,  are  prospering  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  useful  arts  beyond  all  previous 
records  in  either  land.  Manufactories  have  been 
multiplied  and  augmented  in  power,  the  busy  hum 
of  labor  is  heard  in  every  village,  the  fertile  land, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


315 


tickled  with  the  hoe,  laughs  with  more  than  its 
accustomed  harvests  under  better  methods  of  hus- 
bandry, and  the  towns  teem  with  a cheerful  popu- 
lation wedded  to  honest  labor,  which  supplies  their 
homes  and  little  ones  with  food,  shelter,  clothing, 
and  education  in  most  respects  equal  and  in  some 
superior  to  the  average  of  prosperous  European 
nations.  Music  and  the  arts  generally  flourish  under 
the  immediate  patronage  of  the  royal  line  and  the 
aristocracies  of  both  countries,  so  that  the  names  of 
Scandinavian  celebrities  girdle  the  globe  with  fame, 
which  will  endure  long  after  the  old  era  of  dynas- 
tic wars  and  tyrannical  oppression  shall  have  been 
forgotten  in  the  better  systems  of  republican  federa- 
tion and  popular  rule  toward  which  the  old  nations 
in  Europe  are  hastening. 

But  my  little  ones  are  not  allowed  to  imagine 
that  the  Scandinavian  races  are  confined  to  Sweden 
and  Norway;  it  would  be  unfair  to  their  minds  to 
leave  their  ideas  so  stunted  and  incomplete.  Den- 
mark is  of  the  same  great  family,  and  has  a history 
that  scintillates  with  splendor,  stretching  back  into 
the  dim  uncertainties  of  the  dark  ages.  The  king- 
dom as  it  now  exists  has  for  its  northern  boundary 
the  Skager  Hack;  the  Cattegat  northeast  and  east, 
with  the  Baltic  and  the  Sound;  on  the  south  the 
Strait  of  Femern,  the  Little  Belt  and  Schleswig; 
and  on  the  west  the  North  Sea.  The  peninsula  of 
Jutland  is  only  part  of  the  kingdom,  as  the  islands 
of  Funen,  Leeland,  Laaland,  Falster,  Langeland, 


316 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Moen,  Samso,  Laso,  Arro,  Bornholm  and  many  of 
less  note  arc  included.  The  Faroe  Islands,  Iceland 
and  Greenland  and  the  islands  of  Santa  Cruz,  St. 
Thomas  and  St.  John,  in  the  West  Indies,  are  also 
Danish  possessions  that  deserve  notice.  The  aggre- 
gate of  Danish  population  is  less  than  three  mill- 
ion souls,  and  that  fact  fills  the  mind  with  wonder 
as  we  reflect  upon  the  part  the  Danes  have  played 
in  European  history. 

Dan  Mykillati,  or  Dan  the  Famous,  one  of  the 
earliest  kings,  is  said  to  have  given  his  name  to 
the  country,  and  to  have  taught  his  people  many 
useful  arts ; but  the  dates  and  events  of  his  reign 
are  as  difficult  to  fix  as  the  advent  of  fhe  good 
time  coming,  about  which  we  are  accustomed  to  sing 
with  vagueness  and  vigor.  Stoerkodder,  the  Norse 
Hercules,  was  one  his  successors  on  the  throne,  but 
the  memories  of  his  life  are  as  hard  to  verify  as 
is  the  descent  of  the  Dannebrog  or  ancient  battle- 
standard  of  Denmark  from  heaven,  although  it 
would  be  profane  to  doubt  that  the  flag  in  question 
did  fall  from  the  suggested  eminence  at  the  battle  of 
Volmar  in  Esthonia,  in  the  thirteenth  century,  dur- 
ing a crusade  against  the  heathens.  The  figures 
of  a cross  and  crown  were  on  the  standard,  and 
the  workmanship,  ascribed  to  celestial  handicrafts- 
men, was  neither  more  skillful  nor  more  enduring 
than  could  have  been  obtained  in  that  age  from  a 
nunnery.  Twice  it  was  taken  in  battle,  but  its  loss 
on  each  occasion  awakened  a holy  frenzy  among  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


317 


troops,  so  that  no  enemy  could  retain  it  and  live. 
In  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  there  was 
only  a fragment  of  the  precious  heritage,  but  it 
was  treasured  as  beyond  all  price.  The  order  of 
the  Dannebrog  is  the  second  highest  order  of 
knighthood  instituted  by  Denmark,  said  to  have 
been  established  on  the  field  at  Volmar,  in  1219, 
and  to  have  been  restored  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. 

Regner  Lodbrog  and  his  father,  Sigurd  Ring, 
who  came  some  time  in  or  after  the  seventh 
century,  following  Stoerkodder  on  the  throne  after 
an  interval,  were  also  mythical  or  semi-mythical 
heroes  surpassing  the  demi-gods  of  Greece  in  the 
magnitude  of  their  supposed  achievements  and  the 
desperate  valor  which  they  illustrated  as  the  ideal 
of  the  nation.  We  are  left  to  our  imaginations 
mainly  to  fill  the  outline  that  traditions  have  left 
us  as  to  the  native  princes,  until  the  ninth  century, 
when  Gorm  the  Old  appears  to  have  reduced  the 
minor  chiefs  into  a recognition  of  his  superiority,  so 
that  in  the  stead  of  many  principalities,  with  sover- 
eign  rights,  there  was  one  powerful  kingdom.  His 
reign  is  said  to  have  extended  from  A.  D.  S60  to 
936,  or  some  time  within  the  dates  mentioned. 
The  Danes,  with  their  swift-rowing  galleys,  were 
now  the  terror  of  Europe,  and  they  added  sails  to 
increase  the  swiftness  with  which  they  could  pursue 
an  enemy,  or  descend  on  hostile  coasts.  Gorm  car- 
ried his  fierce  invaders  as  far  south  as  Aix  la  Cha- 


318 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


pelle,  where  they  plundered  the  last  resting  place  of 
the  conqueror,  Charlemagne,  and  Gorm  was  among 
the  invaders  of  Paris  in  885.  In  the  year  891  Gorm 
led  his  forces  against  Arnulf,  afterwards  Emperor  of 
Germany,  great-grandson  of  Charlemagne,  the  war- 
rior that  captured  Rome  a few  years  later,  and,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  considering  the  disparity 
of  the  forces  engaged,  the  Danes  suffered  an  over- 
whelming defeat  at  Louvain.  Thyra,  wife  of  Gorm, 
was  his  representative  on  the  throne  while  he  led 
his  numberless  expeditions,  and  the  fierce  woman 
differed  from  her  liege  lord  in  only  one  particular  — 
she  favored  the  Christian  faith,  v/hile  he  was  in 
all  respects  an  inveterate  Pagan.  The  Danne-virke 
across  the  Peninsula  south  of  Schleswig,  from  forty- 
five  to  seventy -five  feet  high,  a v#st  wall  or  forti- 
fication to  protect  Denmark  from  the  Germans  dur- 
ing the  absence  of  its  fighting  men,  was  projected 
and  completed  by  Thyra.  She  feared  no  approaches 
from  the  sea  coast,  there  the  Danes  had  established 
a name  that  overawed  the  landbound  nations.  Har- 
old Blue  Tooth,  son  of  Gorm,  succeeded  him  in 
936,  and  died  in  battle  in  9S5.  By  treachery  and 
daring  the  king  reduced  Norway  to  a tributary 
condition  for  a few  years,  but  my  native  land  soon 
re-established  its  independence.  Christianity  was  fa- 
vored by  Thyra,  mother  of  Harold,  and  he  with 
his  wife  and  son,  Svend  or  Svveyn,  were  baptised 
by  a monk  named  Poppa,  who  succeeded  in  con- 
verting a large  number  of  Danes  of  all  ranks.  Rich- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


319 


arc!  the  Fearless,  Duke  of  Normandy,  was  an  ally 
of  Harold,  and  the  king  assisted  him  largely  in 
several  wars  with  France,  which  were  not  without 
gain  to  the  Danes.  Svend  or  Swcyn,  the  son  of 
Harold,  whose  baptism  we  have  mentioned,  invaded 
England  in  the  reign  of  Ethelred  the  Unready,  and 
conquered  a large  territory  over  which  he  held  sov- 
ereign power  until  his  death  at  Gainesbro’,  in  1014. 
His  infantile  baptism  did  not  prevent  him  from  re- 
lapsing to  paganry  when  he  attained  manhood,  and 
death  coming  upon  him  suddenly,  he  ended  his  ca- 
reer in  the  faith  of  his  remote  ancestors.  Harold 
and  Knud  divided  their  father’s  possessions,  the  for- 
mer taking  Denmark  as  his  sovereignty,  and  the 
latter  England,  where  he  figures  largely  in  history 
as  Canute  the  Great,  having  won  to  himself  the 
whole  kingdom  after  the  death  of  Edmund  Ironsides. 
Mildness  and  prudence  were  as  characteristic  of  the 
man  as  his  integrity,  and  the  Anglo-Saxons  learned 
to  be  proud  of  their  Danish  monarch,  whose  reign 
was  necessarily  more  endurable  than  the  elevation 
of  one  of  their  own  number,  as  it  did  not  offend  per- 
sonal jealousies.  He  was  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful kings  in  Europe,  and  he  was  distinguished  for 
his  literary  attainments,  being  a writer  of  some 
merit  as  well  as  a patron  of  minstrels  and  founder 
of  monasteries.  After  the  death  of  his  brother  he 
reigned  over  Denmark  as  well  as  in  England.  He 
died  in  1036,  leaving  three  sons,  Swcyn,  Harold  and 
Hardicanute.  The  worship  of  Odin  was  abolished 


320 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


in  Denmark  in  1018,  when  Canute  became  king,  and 
Christianity  was  established  as  the  national  religion. 
Sweden  and  Norway  were  added  to  his  dominions, 
and  so  were  Cumberland  — which  had  been  under 
another  sovereign  — and  parts  of  Scotland;  but  the 
eminently  great  king  was  severed  from  his  native 
land  by  his  successes,  as  he  preferred  England  as 
his  residence,  seeing  in  that  country  the  beauties  and 
advantages  about  which  Shakespeare  enthusiastically 
wrote : 

i 

“ This  royal  throne  of  kings,  this  sceptred  isle, 

This  earth  of  majesty,  this  seat  of  Mars, 

This  other  Eden,  demi-paradise; 

This  fortress  built  by  nature  for  herself, 

Against  infection  and  the  hand  of  war; 

This  happy  breed  of  men,  this  little  world, 

This  precious  stone  set  in  the  silver  sea, 

Which  serves  it,  in  the  office  of"  a wall 
Or  as  a moat  defensive  to  a house, 

Against  the  envy  of  less  happier  lands — 

This  blessed  plot,  this  earth,  this  realm,  this  England.” 

Canute  died  when  only  thirty-six  years  old,  but 
he  had  established  a fame  of  which  every  Scandi- 
navian must  be  proud,  irrespective  of  petty  divisions 
and  local  jealousies,  such  as  we  should  blush  to  foster. 

Hardicanute  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Denmark, 
and  four  years  later,  upon  the  death  of  his  brother, 
Harold  Harefoot,  he  acceded  to  the  English  crown 
also,  and  like  his  father  remained  mostly  in  England 
until  his  death,  in  1042.  Magnus  the  Good,  of  Nor- 
way, now  reigned  over  Denmark,  under  an  arrange- 
ment made  very  wisely  by  Hardicanute,  and  the  Danes 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


321 


reaped  many  advantages  from  the  justice  and  wisdom 
of  the  Norwegian  monarch.  When  Magnus  died 
he  gave  the  crown  of  Denmark  to  Svend,  the 
nephew  of  Canute,  and  that  of  Norway  to  Harald, 
his  own  uncle,  who  tried  in  vain  to  defeat  the  sepa- 
ration, by  wars,  which  were  waged  at  intervals  for 
seventeen  years,  until  the  Norwegian  king  desired 
peace  at  home  to  enable  him  to  prosecute  a design 
for  the  conquest  of  England.  Harald  of  Norway 
was,  as  we  know,  slain  in  battle  in  that  attempt,  at 
Stamford  Bridge,  in  England;  his  conqueror,  Harold, 
the  last  of  the  Saxon  kings  of  England,  was  slain 
soon  afterwards  by  William  the  Conqueror’s  forces 
from  Normandy,  at  Hastings;  and  one  year  later 
King  Svend  of  Norway  headed  the  last  of  the  Norse 
invasions  of  England  [in  his  unsuccessful  endeavor 
to  unseat  William  I.  Svend  is  said  to  have  been 
personally  a coward,  but  he  came  of  a line  in  which 
cowardice  was  unknown,  and  the  story  is  the  less 
credible  when  we  consider  the  dignity  and  independ- 
ence of  his  reign.  The  great  Pope  Gregory,  or 
Hildebrandt,  whose  mission  it  was  to  exalt  the  church 
on  the  necks  or  the  prostrate  thrones  of  kings,  was 
a great  favorite  with  Svend,  to  whom  he  could  render 
signal  services  from  the  Holy  See;  but  when  that 
potentate  commanded  him,  under  pains  and  penalties 
innumerable,  to  acknowledge  himself  a vassal  of  the 
the  church,  Svend  flatly  refused,  preferring  all  perils 
rather  than  compromise  Danish  independence.  The 


322 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


founder  of  the  royal  line  that  now  reigns  in  Den- 
mark was  not  a coward  in  that  crisis. 

Fourteen  sons  were  left  by  Svend  when  he  died, 
in  1076,  and  five  of  these  in  succession  were  kings 
of  Denmark,  but  their  reigns  were  full  of  dissen- 
sion, and,  when  Niels  died,  in  1134,  there  was  a 
time  of  great  domestic  trouble,  which  was  terminated 
by  the  accession  of  Valdemar  the  Great.  This 
prince  found  the  nation  impoverished,  and  without 
an  army,  and  his  first  care  was  to  stimulate  its  in- 
dustries, so  that  it  could  endure  the  stress  of  arma- 
ments. The  Wends  and  Esthonians  were  heathen, 
and  Valdemar  undertook  their  conversion  by  means 
of  the  weapon  that  Christ  blamed  Peter  for  using 
in  his  defence.  His  success  in  war  was  indisputa- 
ble, but  his  power  as  a missionary  rarely  endured 
beyond  the  day  in  which  he  returned  his  sword  to 
its  scabbard.  If  the  faith  was  not  permanently  ex- 
tended by  his  operations,  his  dominions  were;  and 
his  son  Knud,  or  Canute  VI.,  continued  in  the  same 
course,  so  that  Denmark,  as  the  sturdy  henchman  of 
the  church  — but  not  its  vassal  — grew  in  grace 
daily. 

Valdemar  II.,  another  great  king,  son  of  Valde- 
mar the  First,  and  brother  of  Canute  VI.,  ascended 
the  throne  on  the  demise  of  that  monarch,  in  1202, 
and  became  master  of  nearly  all  Northern  Germany. 
The  religious  war  commenced  by  his  father  wns 
made  a crusade  against  the  Esthonians,  with  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


323 


sanction  of  the  Pope,  and  his  force  of  sixty  thou- 
sand troops,  with  fourteen  hundred  vessels,  were  un- 
answerable arguments.  It  was  during  this  crusade 
that  the  Dannebrog  was  said  to  have  been  con- 
ferred on  the  troops  by  the  special  favor  of  heaven, 
and  of  course  thousands  of  the  Esthonians  were 
baptised;  but,  unfortunately,  the  Livonian  Knights 
of  the  Sword  claimed  the  exclusive  right  to  save 
the  Esthonians  from  perdition,  or  to  send  them 
thither  at  the  sword’s  point,  and  the  two  sets  of 
missionaries  fought  like  fiends  incarnate  in  the  name 
of  God.  Many  sanguinary  battles  were  fought  be- 
tween the  contending  Christian  forces,  and  on  al- 
most every  occasion  the  chief  advantages  were  with 
the  troops  of  Valdemar,  so  that  he  returned  to  Den- 
mark, in  1222-3,  the  very  height  of  his  power 
and  renown.  Valdemar,  whose  personal  prowess  was 
unbounded,  was  invincible  in  the  field,  but  his  ene- 
mies surprised  him  asleep  in  his  tent  on  a hunting 
expedition,  gagged  and  bound  him  as  he  lay  un- 
armed and  defenceless,  and  he,  with  his  eldest  son, 
was  carried  captive  into  Germany,  where  he  lan- 
guished a prisoner,  accompanied  by  his  son,  in  the 
Castle  of  Danneberg,  for  many  years,  until  a ransom 
of  forty-five  thousand  silver  marks  was  paid,  com- 
pletely impoverishing  Denmark.  The  price  of  his 
liberty  made  it  impossible  for  Valdemar  to  avenge 
his  wrong  upon  Count  Henry  of  Schwerin,  so  he 
gave  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  his  subjects,  mak- 
ing many  and  great  improvements  in  the  kingdom. 


324 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


The  first  uniform  code  of  laws  for  Denmark  dates 
from  this  era,  and  so  great  was  its  merit  that,  after 
four  centuries  and  a half,  the  code  required  amend- 
ments only,  and  was  not  abolished.  Valdemar  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  three  days  after  the  code 
had  been  adopted,  and  his  eldest  son  and  fellow- 
captive,  Valdemar,  being  dead,  the  second  son,  Erik, 
came  to  the  throne,  in  1241,  and  reigned  for  ten 
years.  Abel,  Duke  of  Schleswig,  caused  his  brother’s 
murder  in  1251,  and  in  that  sanguinary  way  pro- f 
cured  his  own  accession;  but  his  reign  lasted  little 
more  than  one  year  before  he  was  slain  by  a man 
that  had  been  wronged  by  him.  The  reign  of 
Abel,  who  emulated  Cain,  was  rendered  remarkable 
by  the  first  appearance  of  the  Burgher  class  in  the 
parliament  or  Danehof,  just  fourteen  years  earlier  than 
the  dates  of  the  first  writs  extant  in  England  call- 
ing the  same  class  into  the  councils  of  the  nation, 
in  what  is  now  known  as  the  House  of  Commons, 
the  body  that  practically  governs  England.  A suc- 
cession of  weak  monarchs  allowed  Denmark  to  fall 
so  low  that  the  Hanse  Towns  were  able  to  dictate 
to  that  kingdom  the  terms  upon  which  the  Danes 
might  engage  in  fishing,  and  Danish  nobles  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  necessities  of  an  elective  sovereign 
to  render  themselves  independent  of  taxation  and  of 
kingly  power.  The  king,  striving  to  vindicate  the 
rights  of  his  position,  was  involved  in  civil  wars, 
and  at  last  driven  out  altogether.  Count  Gerhard, 
of  Holstein,  assisted  the  rebels,  but  established  him- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS.  tf25 

self  upon  their  shoulders,  and  ruled  them  in  the 
name  of  his  nephew,  Valdemar  of  Schleswig,  with 
a rod  of  iron,  until  he  was  assassinated  by  Niels 
Ebbeson,  a Jutlander,  in  1340,  when  the  Germans 
were  driven  out  of  the  kingdom.  The  son  of  Ger- 
hard took  up  the  task  of  avenging  his  father,  and 
defeated  the  Danes  at  Skanderborg;  but,  after  the 
death  of  the  assassin  of  his  father,  Count  Henry 
was  content  to  retire  and  allow  the  Danes  to  man- 
age their  own  affairs,  untrammeled  by  foreign  troops. 
Soon  after  that  event,  and  in  consequence  of  very 
high-handed  proceedings  on  the  part  of  Valdemar 
Atterdag,  the  king,  the  Hanse  Towns  were  able  to 
compel  the  Danes  to  assent  to  their  having  a poten- 
tial voice  in  the  election  of  Danish  kings.  The  ac- 
cession of  Margaret  to  the  thrones  of  Denmark  and 
Norway  was  a great  gain  to  both  kingdoms.  She 
was  an  able  and  wise  woman,  conscious  that  the 
greatness  of  a people  abroad  must  depend  upon  se- 
curity and  peace  in  the  workshop  and  the  home. 
Old  foes  were  conciliated  by  her  womanly  tact,  and 
both  nobles  and  people  were  made  her  friends. 
When  she  had  occasion  to  believe  that  wrongs  were 
being  perpetrated,  she  went  in  person  to  the  scene, 
and  by  careful  inquiry  ascertained  the  appropriate 
remedy,  which  thereafter  she  rigidly  enforced.  Men 
who  had  defied  the  laws  with  impunity  under  the 
rule  of  her  predecessors,  found  in  her  integrity  and 
rigor  good  reasons  for  hastening  to  submit  and  make 
restitution  for  the  wrongs  they  had  done.  She  added 


326 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Sweden  to  her  dominions,  and  consummated  the  Cal- 
mar  act  of  union,  which,  had  she  been  followed  on 
the  throne  by  sovereigns  of  even  average  ability, 
would  have  consolidated  the  three  nations  into  one 
great  Scandinavian  power,  able  to  hold  its  own 
against  the  world,  while  flourishing  in  every  depart- 
ment of  industry  and  commerce.  Erik  of  Pomera- 
nia, grandson  of  her  sister  Ingeborg,  the  adopted 
heir  of  Margaret,  was  little  better  than  an  imbecile, 
and  the  persistency  of  the  able  queen  in  her  choice 
of  a successor,  after  she  had  seen  of  what  poor 
metal  he  was  made,  is  the  only  tarnish  upon  her 
reputation  as  a sovereign.  Erik  continued  king  until 
1435,  when  his  tyrannical  treatment  of  the  Swedes 
drove  them  into  rebellion,  and  he  was  successively 
deposed  by  the  three  kingdoms,  so  that  when  he 
returned  from  the  island  of  Gothland  he  was  not 
allowed  to  land  in  any  port,  and  so  died,  poor  and 
uncared  for,  an  outcast,  in  1459. 

The  nephew  of  Erik  was  chosen  his  successor 
by  each  of  the  kingdoms,  but  three  years  elapsed 
after  his  election  by  Denmark  before  Sweden  and 
Norway  accepted  his  sway,  and  he  died  in  1448, 
leaving  no  offspring.  Count  Christian  of  Olden- 
burg, a descendant  of  the  ancient  line  in  Denmark, 
was  now  chosen  by  that  nation,  and  eventually  by 
Norway  also,  but  he  was  unable  to  make  good 
his  claim  to  Sweden.  He  gave  the  King  of  Scot- 
land the  islands  of  Shetland  and  Orkney  in  lieu 
of  his  daughter’s  dowry  when  she  married  that 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


327 


monarch,  but  they  were  little  more  at  the  best 
than  barren  possessions  to  Denmark.  Hans,  the  son 
of  King  Christian,  succeeded  to  the  crown  of  Den- 
mark and  Norway,  but  Sweden  was  deaf  to  his 
claims,  and  the  nobles  exacted  hard  terms  from  him 
before  allowing  him  to  ascend  the  throne  that  he 
did  fill.  The  Lubeck  traders  and  the  Hanse 
Towns,  which  had  grown  very  powerful  and  inso- 
lent, were  chastised  by  him,  so  that  he  was  consid- 
ered a good  king.  His  son,  Christian  II.,  con- 
quered Sweden  and  reunited  the  three  kingdoms 
under  his  sovereignty,  but  his  oppressive  treatment 
drove  the  Swedes  into  rebellion  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Gustavus  V asa,  whose  terrible  provocations 
and  brilliant  successes  have  been  already  described 
in  the  sketch  of  Swedish  history.  Two  years 
after  that  event  Christian  was  deposed  by  Norway 
and  Denmark,  and  his  uncle,  Frederick,  Duke  of 
Holstein,  was  chosen  in  his  stead  as  Frederick  I. 
The  king  reigned  only  ten  years,  but  during  that 
time  the  Lutheran  faith  was  adopted  as  the  na- 
tional religion.  His  son,  Christian  III.,  was  one  of 
the  best  princes  known  in  any  age,  and  during  his 
reign  'the  Reformation  was  consummated.  He  died 
in  1559,  and  was  succeeded  by  Frederick  II.  The 
free  people  of  Ditmarsen,  who  had  for  many  years 
successfully  opposed  the  pretensions  of  Denmark, 
were  compelled  to  submit  by  this  monarch,  and  the 
territory  that  he  was  able  to  hand  over  to  his  son, 
Christian  IV.,  in  1588,  embraced  the  seven  southern 


328 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


provinces  of  Sweden  as  well  as  the  joint  mon- 
archies of  Denmark  and  Norway.  Ditmarsch  is  now 
a part  of  the  Duchy  of  Holstein  known  as  North 
and  South  Ditmarsch,  between  the  Elbe  and  the 
Eider,  an  area  of  about  500  square  miles,  in  which 
the  people  have  preserved  in  a remarkable  degree 
the  manners  of  old  Germany,  with  the  distinctive 
features  of  the  Teuton,  and  a collection  of  laws 
which  was  adopted  live  centuries  and  a half  ago. 

Christian  IV.  was  born  for  the  distraction  of  nations. 
He  commenced  his  downward  career  by  making 
war  on  Sweden,  but  after  two  years,  hostilities  were 
abandoned  through  England’s  mediation.  In  the 
thirty  years’  war  he  came  to  the  front  as  chief  of 
the  Protestant  League,  but  was  defeated  at  Lutter 
and  driven  out  of  Germany.  His  son  made  war 
on  Sweden  in  the  reign  of  Charles  X.,  and  as  we 
have  seen  was  indebted  to  England  and  Holland 
for  protection  from  the  worst  consequences  of  the 
blunder.  It  is  unnecessary  to  recapitulate  the  later 
wars  with  Sweden;  they  have  been  sufficiently 
described  elsewhere.  The  monarchy  ceased  to  be 
elective  and  the  hereditary  principle  was  adopted 
by  peaceful  revolution  in  1607,  and  in  that  way 
the  power  of  the  nobles,  so  often  used  to  the  coun- 
try’s hurt,  was  cut  down.  The  cession  to  Sweden 
of  the  seven  southern  provinces  reduced  the  territory 
of  Denmark  in  1660  so  that  the  northern  penin- 
sula owed  her  no  allegiance.  In  the  Napoleonic 
wars  Denmark  came  into  conflict  with  England, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


329 


and  was  compelled  by  a British  fleet  under  Admiral 
Lord  Nelson  to  withdraw  from  the  coalition  which 
menaced  the  tyrannical  right  of  search  on  the  high 
seas  claimed  by  England,  and  in  1807,  in  spite  of 
the  strict  neutrality  maintained  by  Denmark,  Eng- 
land, acting  upon  information  that  the  Danish  fleet 
would  be  certainly  seized  by  Napoleon,  sent  a force  to 
compel  the  surrender  of  that  armament  into  England’s 
safe-keeping,  to  be  restored  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
The  Danes  refused  submission  to  that  tyrannical  de- 
mand, but  after  three  days’  bombardment  of  Copen- 
hagen were  compelled  to  allow  the  transfer;  and 
two  months  later  England  declared  war  against  the 
kingdom  that  she  had  already  crippled  and  dis- 
armed. Denmark  was  now  for  six  years  an  ally 
of  Napoleon,  until  the  ill-starred  expedition  to  Mos- 
cow eventuated  in  the  coalition  fatal  to  the  emperor 
and  his  defeat  at  Leipzig,  whereupon  the  Danes, 
wearied  of  his  arbitrary  methods,  and  overawed  by 
the  allies,  were  forced  into  the  combination  against 
the  Corsican.  Territorial  changes  many  and  various 
resulted  from  the  downfall  of  Napoleon.  Norway  was 
ceded  to  Sweden,  and  compensating  territories  were 
added  elsewhere,  but  the  absolutism  of  the  monarchy 
remained  unchanged  until  1848.  At  that  time  a 
new  wave  of  free  thought  in  matters  of  govern- 
ment, originating  in  France  with  Lamartine,  Arago, 
Louis  Blanc  and  a few  other  great  men  of  similar 
tendencies,  drove  out  the  citizen  king,  Louis  Phil- 
lippe,  who  fled  under  false  passports  issued  to  John 


330 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Smith,  and  so  left  the  way  clear  to  establish  a re- 
public upon  a basis  too  unstable  to  be  maintained. 
The  republic  having  been  raised  on  popular  enthusi- 
asm, instead  of  being  securely  builded  upon  virtue 
in  the  nation,  terminated  in  the  coup  d'etat  three  years 
later,  and  the  president  for  life  developed  into  an 
emperor,  laid  down  his  authority  at  Sedan,  when  he 
surrendered  to  Frederick  William  and  Bismarck. 
The  wave  of  freedom  disturbed  nearly  all  the  princi- 
palities on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  Frederick 
VII.  of  Denmark  gave  to  his  people  a constitution 
which  was  reasonably  concurrent  with  their  instincts. 
That  concession  dates  from  the  year  1848,  the  time 
of  the  uprising  in  Paris  under  Lamartine.  The 
Schleswig-Holstein  difficulty  need  not  be  discussed 
in  a child’s  historic  sketch.  It  used  to  be  said  that 
there  was  only  one  man  in  Europe  that  fully  under- 
stood the  bearings  [of  that  quarrel,  and  he  became 
insane  trying  to  explain  its  intricacies  to  his  dearest 
friend.  With  such  a possibility  in  the  distance,  how- 
ever remote,  it  will  not  be  wondered  at  that  we  do 
not  care  to  burden  the  minds  of  little  ones  with 
such  abstruse  matter.  Details  so  dry  belong  to  more 
pretentious  histories,  such  as  may  be  given  some  day 
when  I am  called  upon  to  address  my  fellow-country- 
men celebrating  the  anniversaries  of  freedom ; but  even 
then  I shall  try  to  avoid  the  tediousness  of  arith- 
metic, the  dusty  pigeon-holes  of  diplomatists  and  the 
pretenses  of  dynasties.  The  glory  of  the  Scandina- 
vian race  is  the  theme  upon  which  my  soul  runs  riot, 


OUT  FROM  TILE  DARKNESS. 


331 


and  that  is  associated  with  the  increasing  freedom  se- 
cured to  Denmark  in  the  constitution  of  1866,  and 
to  Iceland  in  the  recognition  of  its  constitutional  in- 
dependence, on  the  occurrence  of  the  millennial  anni- 
versary. The  royal  family  of  Denmark  is  inter- 
twined by  dynastic  alliances  with  almost  every 
crowned  head  in  Europe,  but  the  king  is  wise  enough 
to  realize  that  the  permanency  of  his  hold  on 
the  sovereignty  must  depend  upon  popular  affection, 
a silken  band  which  will  endure  where  manacles 
and  chains  would  be  snapped  asunder.  The  people 
are  the  wisdom  and  power  of  nations,  as  well  as  the 
wealth  producers;  when  their  schools  and  universi- 
ties are  fully  employed,  educing  the  best  qualities  of 
every  mind,  and  diffusing  sound  knowledge  through 
the  land;  when  their  physique  and  morale  assert 
themselves  in  stalwart  array  as  armies  of  defence  be- 
hind the  frontier;  when  their  busy  looms  and  clang- 
ing engines  tell  of  industries  well  employed  in  win- 
ning wealth  from  all  sources,  then  the  press  will 
flourish,  liberty  will  rise  triumphant  above  all  assaults, 
and  justice,  tempered  with  mercy,  will  govern  the 
globe  in  the  name  of  the  Redeemer. 

My  little  ones  become  enthusiastic,  as  is  their  sire, 
when  I recount  the  steps  by  which  the  courage  of 
our  ancestors  budded  the  liberties  of  nations;  and  I 
teach  them  as  best  I may,  that  the  strength  of  a 
giant  deserves  no  honor  unless  it  is  applied  to  no- 
ble ends.  I have  sometimes  feared  that,  in  my  zeal 
for  the  glory  of  the  Scandinavian  races,  my  children 


332 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


would  grow  up  in  the  belief  that  no  other  race  nor 
people  have  done  aught  for  the  consolidation  of 
popular  freedom;  and  to  guard  against  that  possible 
blunder,  I like  to  follow  up  my  Scandinavian 
sketches  by  a few  brief,  hints  as  to  the  growth  of  par- 
liamentaiy  government  in  England;  a tree  in  which 
the  Christian  world  has  found  fruits  and  seeds  from 
which  the  human  race  is  gathering  blessings  at  this 
hour  on  every  continent. 

Far  back  in  the  dim  vista  of  dhe  past,  before 
our  common  ancestors,  the  Aryans,  sent  forth  their 
great  migratory  hordes  from  India  into  Europe  — 
starting  probably  from  the  country  now  known  as 
Afghanistan  to  us,  but  called  Wilajet  or  u Mother 
Country”  by  the  native  tribes  — the  Scandinavians 
and  the  Teutons  generally  were  one  people.  Local 
distinctions  established  in  Europe,  as  for  instance,  the 
Franks  or  Freemen  — one  section  of  whom  overrode 
the  Gauls,  and  bestowed  their  name  on  France, 
and  were  divided  into  Salic  and  Ripuarian  Franks, 
by  the  accidents  of  settlement  — gave  names  which 
in  the  ignorance  of  the  earliest  historians  beclouded 
the  true  origin  of  the  new-comers.  The  Franks 
were  known  in  the  reign  of  Caesar  Augustus/ 
which  extended  from  27  b.  c.  to  14  a.  d.,  as 
Bructeri,  Chamavi,  Amsivarii,  Catti,  Chassuarii,  Syg- 
ambri,  and  by  other  family  and  tribal  names  which 
had  almost  entirely  merged  in  the  greater  cogno- 
mens by  which  they  have  written  their  lives  into 
European  history,  which  were  hardly  crystallized  un- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


333 


til  two  centuries  and  a half  later  than  the  time  of 
Augustus.  The  unity  of  Teutonic  and  Scandinavian 
mythologies  found  in  the  god  Odin,  Wodin,  Wotan, 
Wuotan,  from  whom  we  have  the  name  of  Wednes- 
day or  Wodin’s  day,  has  been  glanced  at  already 
and  need  not  be  repeated  here,  but  it  is  well  to 
establish  on  a broad  and  enduring  basis  the  cousin- 
ship  and  common  birth  of  Teutons,  Scandinavians, 
and  Anglo-Saxons,  the  “ heirs  of  all  the  ages  in  the 
> foremost  files  of  time,”  whose  deeds  have  iustified 
the  line  of  Tennyson: 

“ Better  fifty  years  of  Europe,  than  a cycle  of  Cathay.” 

The  disintegrating  Roman  Empire  was  reinforced 
with  Teuton  warriors,  until  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
armies  were  Teutonic  to  a greater  or  less  extent, 
and  when  new  nations  were  shaped  upon  the  frag- 
ments of  lapsed  greatness,  freedom  grew  afresh  with 
better  conditions  and  more  vigor  in  Teutonic  and 
Scandinavian  States,  which  found 

“ So  many  worlds,  so  much  to  do, 

So  little  done,  such  things  to  be.” 

Time  does  not  allow  of  many  details,  nor  is  it 
desirable  to  burden  the  mi-nds  of  children  with  dry- 
as-dust  scrapings  in  the  cinder  heaps  of  history7, 
where  antiquarians  discover  suggestive  remains;  so 
I content  myself  with  offering  to  my  girls,  who  are 
not  to  be  of  the  blue-stocking  persuasion,  just  a 
few  facts  which  illustrate  the  measures  in  which  in 
other  lands  besides  our  own,  the  free  and  daring 
warriors  and  husbandmen,  who  established  colonies 


334 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


wherever  the  aboriginal  peoples  could  be  driven 
back  into  mountain  fastnesses  or  less  desirable  re- 
gions in  Europe,  addressed  themselves  without  ceas- 
ing, though  with  many  and  rude  rebuffs  from  priv- 
ileged classes,  to 

u Grasp  the  skirts  of  happy  chance, 

And  breast  the  blows  of  circumstance,” 

in  favor  of  the  freedom  which  we  are  all  too  slowly 
realizing  in  this  country,  in  England  and  in  the 
nations  which  are  specially’  the  home  of  the  Scan- 
dinavian people.  The  Saxons  in  England,  or  rather 
in  Britain,  for  then  the  England  of  to-day  was  not 
yet  shaped  and  molded  in  the  matrix  of  time,  es- 
tablished what  was  called  the  Witenagemote , or  meet- 
ing of  the  wise  and  the  leaders  of  the  people,  as- 
sembling under  the  shelter  of  some  wide-branching 
oak,  discussed  the  issues  of  peace  and  war,  sur- 
rounded and  listened  to  by  persons  of  less  note, 
ranged  according  to  their  social  importance.  The 
lowest  rank  in  the  assembly  had  a voice  more  or 
less  potential  in  shaping  the  decisions  of  the  coun- 
cil, because  applause  is  the  breath  of  life  to  an  ora- 
tor, and  from  out  of  the  crowded  audience  came 
sounds  of  approval,  or  murmurs  of  discontent,  when 
vexed  questions  of  policy  trembled  on  the  verge  of 
decision.  The  Witenagemote  remained  a part  of 
the  machinery  of  government  in  England,  until  the 
time  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  in  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury, as  we  find  him  sending  dignitaries  of  the 
church  to  take  part  in  the  deliberations  and  ex- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


335 


pound  the  sacred,  civil  and  common  law  as  then 

understood,  on  every  question  as  it  arose.  Upon 
his  death,  Harold,  brother  of  Edward’s  wife,  by 
whom  the  ascetic  king,  full  of  more  than  monkish 

strictness,  had  no  issue,  mounted  the  throne  in  vio- 

lation of  some  bargain,  expressed  or  implied,  be- 
tween Edward  the  Confessor  and  William  of  Nor- 
mandy; and  in  the  issue  of  that,  conflict  the  sittings 
of  the  Witenagemote  ceased  entirely  or  became  ob- 
scured and  of  less  moment.  It  cannot  fail  to  be 
seen  in  these  few  lines  that  Canute  and  his  son, 

Hardicanute,  lived  and  reigned  in  England  while 
the  Witenagemote  was  in  the  maximum  of  its  power 
as  a national  council,  and  in  that  early  beginning 
we  find  the  root  of  modern  parliamentary  govern- 
ment. The  Greeks  had  a saying,  that  there  “were 
brave  men  before  Agamemnon,”  indicating  that  the 
best  qualities,  and  the  worst  also,  belong  to  the  race 
and  not  merely  to  the  individual;  and  it  would  be 
easy  for  us  to  find,  in  the  musty  records  of  the  an- 
tique time  before  Christ  was  born,  traces  of  insti- 
* 

* tutions  somewhat  similar  to  the  Witenagemote / but 
we  are  not  concerned  here  and  now  with  anything 
but  the  development  of  modern  parliaments,  the 
leaders  of  which,  springing  from  the  ranks  of  com- 
merce, as  in  the  case  of  Wm.  Ewart  Gladstone, 
from  the  manufacturing  class,  in  the  person  of  the 
Quaker,  John  Bright,  and  others,  or  from  the  once 
proscribed  race  of  Jews,  in  the  person  of  Benjamin 
Disraeli,  Earl  of  Beaconsfield, 


336 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


“ Have  lived  to  clutch  the  golden  keys, 

To  mould  a mighty  state’s  decrees, 

And  shape  the  whisper  of  the  throne.” 

Feudal  institutions  had  now  their  full  development 
among  the  followers  of  William  the  Norman,  and 
for  nearly  three  hundred  years  the  Anglo-Saxon 
tongue  was  forbidden  utterance  in  law  courts  of  the 
kingdom,  in  petitions  to  the  court  of  the  monarch, 
and  in  parliaments  when  such  bodies  convened. 
The  history  of  that  era  is  written  in  the  construction 
of  the  English  language  to-day,  for  the  animals  run- 
ning on  the  moors  and  in  the  fields  retain  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  names  by  which  their  care-takers  and  owners 
designated  them,  as  bull,  sheep,  and  pig,  with  many 
other  illustrations  that  might  be  given;  but  the  flesh 
of  the  slain  animals  taken  to  market  for  sale  had 
to  be  named  in  Norman  French,  bceuj \ beef  mouton , 
mutton,  and  j>orc  or  pork,  to  tempt  the  notice  of 
the  wealthy  conquerors.  The  parliament,  or  free 
speaking  council,  owes  its  name  to  the  tongue  of  the 
Normans,  although  the  later  development  of  the  in- 
stitution is  peculiarly  English.  The  first  meetings 
after  the  conquest  were  probably  dependent  upon 
the  caprice  of  the  monarch,  and  they  were  in  all 
likelihood  informal  assemblages,  possessing  but  little 
weight,  as  we  find  no  written  records  of  procedure. 
Taxes  could  not  be  levied  without  the  consent  of 
the  people,  through  their  representatives;  that  is  a 
maxim  old  as  the  earliest  mention  of  parliament  or 
Witenagemote , and  therefore  the  necessities  of  kings 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


337 


would  not  allow  them  to  overlook  the  right  of  the 
nation  to  be  convened,  at  intervals  more  or  less  brief, 
when  supplies  were  to  be  demanded.  The  king 
might  declare  war  — that  was  his  prerogative  — and  the 
nobles,  with  their  retainers,  were  bound  by  their  oaths 
of  allegiance  to  follow  him  to  the  field;  but  unless 
the  military  chest  was  filled  by  the  people  there  was 
little  chance  of  a favorable  outcome  to  hostilities. 
The  term  “ coffers  of  the  State,”  which  we  often 
hear  used  by  gushing  orators,  had  little  meaning  in 
those  days  and  never  can  have  much  in  constitutionally 
governed  countries,  as  no  moneys  are  ever  found  in 
such  coffers  unless  specially  ear-marked  for  set  pur- 
poses. 

It  might  seem  that  the  rights  of  a conquered 
people  would  be  freely  trampled  under  foot  by  the 
Normans,  and  so  in  fact  they  were  in  thousands  of 
instances  in  all  directions,  in  acts  of  spoliation  and 
oppression;  but  the  parliament  was  a Norman  ren- 
dering of  the  Saxon  Witenagemote , in  which  the 
Anglo-Saxon  had  no  immediate  recognition.  The 
barons  were  not  willing  to  become  mere  courtiers 
attendant  upon  the  king,  and  short  of  absolute 
rebellion,  the  parliament,  with  its  concomitant  right 
of  free  speech,  was  their  only  means  for  controlling 
the  sovereign.  The  barons,  confronted  only  by  a 
king  without  a standing  army,  readily  asserted  their 
powers  against  his,  and  De  Warrenne,  when  asked 
to  whom  he  owed  the  grant  of  his  barony,  pointed 

to  his  sword  instead  of  looking  at  his  liege  lord  as 
22 


338 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


the  grantor.  He  was  the  fair  representative  of  an 
imperious  class,  tyrannical  to  the  people  and  rebellious 
against  majesty.  Unless  convened  in  parliament, 
they  could  not  and  would  not  grant  taxes  nor  aids 
of  any  kind  to  the  crown;  and  when  convened,  they 
questioned  every  proposed  outlay,  scrutinized  and 
criticised  every  act  of  the  monarch,  and  except  on 
rare  occasions,  when  their  vanity  had  been  touched 
or  their  passions  roused  in  favor  of  some  foreign 
war,  they  doled  out  grants  in  aid  with  extremest 
parsimony.  The  kings  found  that  convening  par- 
liament was  a proceeding  fraught  with  danger, 
because  it  suggested  union  among  the  barons  against 
the  sovereign  power,  and  but  that  they  were  met 
by  armed  men,  read}^  to  enforce  at  the  sword’s 
point  the  maxim,  “ taxation  without  representation 
is  robbery,”  there  would  have  been  no  parliaments. 
At  first,  while  the  sovereigns  of  England  were 
personally  rich  with  the  spoils  of  the  conquest  in 
1066,  so  that  aids  from  the  nation  were  unnecessary, 
there  were  but  few  assemblies,  and  they  were  brief. 
Later  there  were  endeavors  to  dispense  with  par- 
liamentary grants,  until  in  the  reign  of  King  John 
the  crown  had  become  more  absolute  than  is  to-day 
“the  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias.”  The  king 
lorded  it  over  church  and  state  within  his  own 
realm,  having  gained  the  fullest  support  from  the 
Pope  of  Rome  by  resigning  his  crown  into  the 
hands  of  a legate  of  the  holy  see,  and  submitted 
his  neck  to  the  priestly  heel  in  token  of  the  vassal- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


339 


ship  in  which  he  consented  to  wear  the  emblems 
of  royalty.  So  strengthened,  he  never  doubted  his 
power  to  compel  the  submission  which  he  did  not 
deserve,  and,  happily  for  England  and  the  world, 
his  designs  were  defeated.  The  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, Cardinal  Stephen  de  Langton,  was  the 
leading  mind  on  the  side  of  the  barons,  the  clergy, 
the  freemen,  and  the  commons  of  England,  and  he 
persevered  in  the  struggle  in  spite  of  the  positive 
command  of  the  chief  of  the  papacy  to  forbear  as 
against  the  king,  and  to  pronounce  sentence  of 
excommunication  against  the  barons.  The  battle 
royal  continued  with  varying  fortunes  for  two  years, 
from  1213  to  1215,  and  then,  the  machinations  of 
Pope  Innocent  III.  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding, 
the  barons,  armed  knights  and  veomen,  with  an 
immense  array,  called  “ The  Army  of  God  and  the 
Holy  Church,  ” entered  the  city  of  London  May 
24th,  and  the  king  fled  from  the  Tower.  The 
result  was  that  Magna  Charta  was  granted  by 

the  king,  the  document  being  signed  at  Runny- 
mede,  and  the  great  charter  of  the  liberties  of 

all  classes  has  been  subscribed  times  without  number 
by  succeeding  sovereigns.  Many  of  the  conditions 
of  that  document  have  been  incorporated  in  all  the 
constitutions,  national  and  state,  that  have  been 
adopted*  in  this  country,  and  only  the  parts  that 

were  temporary  in  essence,  relating  to  the  acts  of 
King  John,  or  to  feudal  rights  since  fallen  into 

disuse,  have  ceased  to  possess  importance.  The 


340 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


principle  which  declares  taxation  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  people  unjust  and  oppressive,  was  expressly 
set  forth  in  Magna  Charta , and  in  addition  was  this 
passage,  of  which  the  great  Earl  of  Chatham,  the 
friend  of  America,  said  in  his  eloquent  and  forceful 
way,  “ These  three  words,  c nullus  liber  homo , ’ have 
a meaning  which  interests  us  all ; they  deserve  to 
be  remembered,  they  deserve  to  be  inculcated  in 
our  minds,  they  are  worth  all  the  classics.  ” 
Thus  runs  the  clause:  uNo  free  man  shall  be 

taken,  or  imprisoned,  or  disseized  of  his  freehold,  or 
liberties,  or  free  customs,  or  be  outlawed,  or  exiled, 
or  otherwise  destroyed;  nor  will  we  pass  upon  him, 
nor  condemn  him,  but  by  lawful  judgment  of  his 
peers,  or  by  the  law  of  the  land.  We  will  sell 
to  no  man,  we  will  not  deny  nor  defer  to  any 
man,  either  right  or  justice.”  John  tried  his  utmost, 
late  in  his  reign,  to  nullify  Magna  Charta , and 
many  of  his  successors  have  tried  to  magnify  their 
office  at  the  expense  of  the  people,  but  the  charter 
is  still  intact. 

The  provisos  of  Magna  charta  were  all  founded 
upon  English  traditions  which  had  their  origin  in  the 
days  of  the  Witenagemote , but  the  increase  of  freedom 
and  human  rights  of  which  we  are  conscious  arises 
from  our  better  appreciation  of  the  words  liber  homo , 
or  free  man.  We  recognize  no  man  as  other  than 
free  unless  he  has  been  derelict  in  his  duty  or  is 
wanting  in  brain  power  and  must  be  confined  for 
his  own  safety  and  the  security  of  others.  For 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


341 


fully  half  a century  after  the  charter  was  signed 
little  is  known  about  parliaments,  but  we  may  safely 
assume  they  were  duly  convened  while  the  matter 
was  fresh  in  men’s  minds.  In  the  year  1265  writs 
were  issued  convening  knights,  citizens  and  bur- 
gesses to  meet  in  parliament,  and  this  was  fourteen 
years  later  than  the  date  at  which  similar  writs  of 
summons  were  issued  in  Denmark.  The  fact  is 
important  as  showing  the  regularity  of  parliament- 
ary growth  in  different  countries  and  under  various 
names,  and  it  is  especially  creditable  to  the  Scandi- 
navian. race.  When  the  commons  assembled  in  En- 
gland at  first  they  met  in  the  same  chambers  with 
the  barons  and  prelates,  and  probably  that  system 
continued  until  some  time  early  in  the  fifteenth 
century,  when  we  may  imagine  some  super-sensitive 
aristocrat  was  offended  because  the  u base  mechan- 
icals ” dared  come 

“Betwixt  the  wind  and  his  nobility,” 
and  was  able  to  persuade  the  rest  of  the  barons  to 
join  in  asserting  their  superiority  by  meeting  in 
another  chamber.  Certain  it  is  that  before  the  end 
of  the  fifteenth  century  the  dual -chamber  system 
was  in  full  operation,  and  the  results  of  that  seem- 
ingly unimportant  movement  have  been  most  favor- 
able to  liberty.  Grants  of  money  were  made  at 
first  by  either  chamber,  with  the  concurrence  of 
the  other,  but  the  barons  were  not  solicitous  to 
give  money,  and  the  custom  gradually  fell  into 
desuetude  so  far  as  that  house  was  concerned.  The 


342 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS 


commons,  on  the  other  hand,  although  not  inclined 
to  be  spendthrift,  were  willing  to  support  the  king 
in  consideration  of  favors  that  the  sovereign  could 
extend  to  the  trading  and  manufacturing  communi- 
ties. In  England  as  well  as  on  the  continent  of 
Europe  sovereigns  wisely  sought  to  counterbalance 
the  feudal  aristocracy  and  their  armed  retainers  by 
calling  to  the  front  the  industrial  classes  or  burgh- 
ers; and  the  once  dominant  lords  found  themselves 
just  as  important,  in  the  course  of  time,  as  the  fifth 
wheel  of  a coach.  The  Anglo-Saxon  people  came 
once  more  into  prominence,  as  their  language  had 
done  after  three  centuries  of  endeavor  for  its  sup- 
pression. As  in  the  one  case  the  mothers  and 
nurses  of  England  proved  more  powerful  than  the 
court  and  the  laws,  preserving  and  developing  the 
forbidden  tongue,  which  has  become  the  vehicle  for 
the  finest  poetry  extant,  save  the  Book  of  Job,  and 
the  grandest  philosophy  of  all  the  ages,  replete 
with  quotable  and  ever-to-be-quoted  sentences,  such 
as  Tennyson  wondrously  describes  as 

“Jewels  five- words  long, 

That  on  the  stretched  forefinger  of  all  time 
Sparkle  forever.” 

So  the  industrial  energy  and  commercial  enter- 
prise of  the  commons  proved  more  recuperative  and 
persistent  than  the  warlike  genius  of  the  barons, 
knights  and  esquires,  and  in  the  end  achieved  a vic- 
tory none  the  less  complete.  Every  step  made  by 
the  commons  in  assuming  control  of  the  purse- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


313 


strings  was  made  with  energy  and  decision  as  by 
men  that  had  come  to  stay.  Quite  early  in  the 
game,  and  before  c My  Lords,  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral,” saw  any  significance  in  the  movement,  the 
commons  had  affirmed  the  principle  that  64  all  money 
bills  must  originate  in  the  lower  house  upon  a 
message  from  the  crown,  and  may  be  rejected  in 
toto , but  cannot  be  altered  by  the  lords.”  Before 
the  power  couched  in  that  sentence  was  understood 
it  had  been  tacitly  accepted  and  endorsed  by  pre- 
cedents so  that  in  parliamentary  etiquette  it  was 
beyond  revocation  as  long  as  the  lower  house  had 
power  to  stand  upon  its  rights.  Commercial  and 
legal  acumen  in  the  commons  was  more  than  a 
match  for  the  military  vigor  of  the  barons  and  the 
dreamy  eloquence  of  the  bench  of  bishops;  so  we 
have  seen  the  magnificence  of  the  House  of  Peers 
gradually  dwindle  into  nothingness  while  the  aggres- 
sive force  of  the  burghers  has  gradually  compressed 
both  sovereign  and  lords  into  the  proportions  and 
appearance  of  gilt  toys  to  amuse  children  withal 
while  the  incidence  of  government  with  all  its 
welcome  responsibilities  rests  upon  the  stalwart  shoul- 
ders of  the  whole  people.  Practically,  all  other 
things  being  equal,  weight  of  brain  will  govern; 
and  the  heads  of  a hundred  men  engaged  in  com- 
merce and  manufactures,  and  descended  from  fathers 
so  engaged,  must  needs  exceed  in  bulk  and  value 
a like  number  of  heads  accustomed  to  elegant  idle- 
ness and  descended  from  idle  parents  with  similar 


344 


OUT  FROM  T1IE  DARKNESS. 


tastes.  A French  philosopher,  having  sat  one  night 
in  each  chamber  of  the  British  parliament,  said  he 
found  in  the  commons  that  one-half  the  members 
had  small  heads  and  in  the  lords’  house  they  all  had 
small  heads.  That  described  the  actual  fact  at  the 
time,  for  nearly  one-half  of  the  commons  members 
were  younger  sons  and  scions  of  the  aristocracy, 
with  faculties  gradually  becoming  dormant,  while 
the  ruling  half  of  that  body  is  made  up  of  the 
picked  manhood  of  the  time.  One  speech  from  John 
Bright  stands  for  more  in  the  house  and  before  the 
people  of  England  than  all  the  utterances  that  the 
Marquis  of  Hartington  stands  responsible  for  or  will 
ever  deliver.  The  brain  of  Daniel  O’Connell 
weighed  as  heavy  as  that  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 
The  high  moral  tone  and  keen  intellect  of  Gladstone 
and  the  incisive  clearness  and  tact  of  Disraeli  have 
distanced  the  nobles  in  their  respective  parties,  and 
it  is  a fact  well  known  to  all  observers  that  but  for 
new  creations  by  the  sovereign  and  the  faculty  for 
marrying  commoners  which  the  aristocracy  of  En- 
gland have  developed,  the  House  of  Lords  would 
have  long  since  been  vacant.  But  we  are  crossing 
the  river  before  we  reach  the  bridge,  and  that  is  not 
good  policy;  we  must  just  step  back  a handful  of 
centuries. 

After  the  struggle  with  John  there  was  no  diffi- 
culty further  as  to  convening  parliaments;  the  change 
noted  in  1265  meant  broadening  the  base  of  the 
institution  by  calling  burgesses  by  their  representatives 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


345 


into  the  national  council,  and  of  course  the  ex- 
penses of  members  were  paid  by  their  constituents, 
as  well  as  a stated  allowance  by  way  of  salary. 
This  matter  of  remuneration  pressed  so  heavily  on 
some  of  the  smaller  boroughs  that  we  find  them  pe- 
titioning the  king  at  different  times  to  relieve  them 
from  the  responsibility.  Centuries  later,  and  before 
the  Reform  Bill,  which  was  carried  through  mainly 
by  Lords  Eglinton,  Russell  and  Grey,  became  a law, 
there  were  small  boroughs  that  almost  lived  on  their 
representatives  in  the  house  of*  commons  who 
were  expected  to  pay  roundly  in  cash  for  every 
vote,  and  in  addition  procure  government  appoint- 
ments of  a remunerative  sort  for  a little  horde  of 
poor  relations.  Admiral  Lord  Cochrane,  afterwards 
Earl  of  Dundonald,  got  even  with  one  of  the  rotten 
boroughs  in  a very  ingenious  way,  that  deserves  men- 
tion. There  was  a regular  tariff  for  the  votes  of 
the  rank  and  file,  but  the  general  officers  in  the  army 
of  corruption  had  to  be  specially  considered  into  the 
bargain.  Lord  Cochrane,  a brave  and  liberal  officer, 
was  determined  to  win  the  seat  without  paying  the 
wages  of  sin.'  General  elections  occur  every  seven 
years  or  thereabout,  but  sometimes  members  become 
incapacitated  to  serve,  through  bankruptcy  or  insan- 
ity, sometimes  their  seats  become  vacant  from  death, 
or  they  become  politically  dead  by  accepting  offices 
of  profit  under  the  crown,  and  need  revival  by  re- 
election  at  the  hands  of  their  constituents.  There 
was  a vacancy  in  this  way  for  only  one  year,  the 


346 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


remainder  of  a term,  and  Lord  Cochrane  offered 
himself  as  a candidate,  premising  that  he  would  not 
pay  any  man  to  vote  for  him.  His  meetings  were 
well  attended,  his  speeches  were  full  of  eloquent  ex- 
pressions of  liberal  sentiment,  and  his  political  views 
en  regie , but  he  spoiled  every  night’s  performance 
by  reiterating  that  he  would  pay  no  man  to  vote  for 
him.  Committees  of  expostulation  waited  upon  him, 
but  he  was  impervious  to  counsel,  and  of  course  he 
was  defeated  by  hundreds  to  one.  Only  five  men 
voted  for  Lord  Cochrane,  and  he  invited  the  little 
band  of  purists  to  dinnner  after  the  election.  He 
gave  to  each  man  a letter  containing  thrice  the  or- 
dinary douceur  for  a vote,  and  an  expression  of  his 
pleasure  that  there  were  some  men  patriotic  enough 
to  cast  aside  money  considerations  in  an  election. 
There  was  of  course  no  harm  in  a wealthy  man 
who  had  not  been  elected  giving  presents  to  his  sup- 
porters after  the  event. 

Less  than  a year  afterwards,  parliament  having  ex- 
pired by  effluxion  of  time,  there  was  a general  elec- 
tion, the  members  being  chosen  for  seven  years,  and 
Lord  Cochrane  was  beseiged  every  mail  with  letters 
from  the  men  who  had  not  supported  him  to  come 
down  to  the  borough  and  be  elected.  He  began 
his  campaign  as  before,  by  saying  he  would  not  pay 
any  man  to  vote  for  him,  and  that  was  the  refrain 
of  every  speech,  but  almost  the  whole  borough 
gave  the  choice  in  his  favor,  leaving  the  old  fash- 
ioned corruptionist  and  his  money  “ out  in  the  cold.” 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


347 


The  polling  day  passed  as  before,  and  after  the 
voting  a dinner,  with  a letter  for  every  elector,  but^ 
no  douceur , as  the  Admiral  honored  the  purity  of 
their  motives,  and  would  not  besmirch  their  newly 
discovered  honesty  by  an  offer  of  money,  which 
might  discredit  his  election.  The  disappointed  cor- 
ruptionists groaned,  but  the  member  was  safe  for 
seven  years,  and  he  was  too  wise  to  count  on  a re- 
election.  In  one  election  for  the  Borough  of  Liv- 
erpool, in  which  Mr.  Wilberforce  was  a candidate, 
the  expenses  ranged  above  two  million  dollars. 

Parliaments  increased  in  importance  from  the  time  of 
John  until  nearly  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  when 
in  consequence  of  the  carelessness  of  the  boroughs  any 
person  could  be  sent  into  the  house  of  commons, 
and  the  peers  of  the  realm  made  it  a point  to  pro- 
cure the  election  of  their  serving  men  and  dependents. 
This  change  took  place  about  the  same  time  that 
the  two  chamber  sittings  commenced,  and  nearly  a 
century  and  a half  elapsed  from  that  time  before 
the  lower  house  regained  its  status.  Elections  were 
easily  manipulated.  The  writs  sent  to  the  sheriff 
in  each  shire  were  by  him  transmitted  to  his  agents, 
who  acted  as  returning  officers,  and  they  making  what 
arrangements  they  thought  fit  as  to  publicity,  would 
attend  at  the  county  court,  or  at  any  other  hustings, 
at  the  appointed  time,  to  receive  nominations  of  can- 
didates. Any  person  in  the  secret  and  possessing 
the  qualification  could  attend  with  two  friends  to 
propose  and  second  him  and  a few  hangers  on  to 


348 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


make  a show  of  hands,  and  the  election  was  usually 
* certain.  Sometimes  the  sheriffs  and  their  agents, 
the  returning  officers,  would  insert  wrong  names  in 
the  returned  writ,  but  usually  they  drummed  up  ten 
or  a dozen  of  the  unwashed  to  carry  the  pet  can- 
didate by  acclamation;  and  there  was  but  little  stir 
made  in  any  case  however  great  the  malversation. 
While  the  followers  of  John  Wycliffe,  known  as  the 
Lollards,  were  in  force  the  political  and  reformatory 
zeal  of  the  translator  of  the  Bible  into  the  vernacular 
secured  more  attention  to  such  duties  as  elections, 
but  after  his  death,  the  party  being  persecuted  to 
extinction,  every  public  duty  fell  into  neglect  until 
the  days  of  the  printing  press,  and  the  consummated 
reformation  shed  light  and  warmth  on  the  body 
politic.  The  wars  of  the  Roses  were  not  favorable 
to  parliamentary  growth,  but  they  were  also  very 
destructive  to  the  aristocracy  as  the  crusades  had 
been,  and  the  rise  of  the  Puritans,  striving  to  con- 
form their  lives  to  God’s  word  gave  new  salt  to  a 
kingdom  that  had  well  nigh  lost  its  savor.  Perse- 
cution helped  the  newly  born  sect,  ridicule  assailed , 
them  as  precisians  or  Puritans,  without  avail,  and  I 
perils  of  burning  at  the  stake  for  being  found  reading 
the  Bible  did  not  in  any  considerable  degree  weaken 
the  movement.  Bibles  which  had  until  nqw  been 
only  printed  in  the  learned  languages,  having  been 
rendered  into  the  vernacular  of  their  respective  coun- 
tries, by  Luther  in  Germany,  assisted  by  Melancthon 
and  his  colleagues;  and  in  England  by  Tyndale,  who 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


349 


afterwards  sought  safety  in  Holand;  there  were  no 
insuperable  difficulties  in  the  way  of  smuggling  the  - 
gospels  and  the  Old  Testament  into  the  kingdom, 
as  New  York  merchants  procure  contraband  silks, 
and  the  exponents  of  free  thought  felt  that  they 
were  in  a special  sense  God’s  people.  Meeting  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  after  the  sound  of  the  Curfew 
bell  had  warned  all  people  to  cover  or  extinguish 
their  fires  and  lights,  the  fugitive  worshipers,  carry- 
ing their  lives  in  their  hands,  listened  to  the  read- 
ings and  exhortations  of  some  more  learned  brother, 
and  then  with  subdued  voices,  but  rejoicing  hearts, 
joined  in  services  of  praise  and  prayer  to  the  Most 
High.  There  has  been  no  modern  revival  like  it, 
for  every  man  and  woman  that  took  hold  on  Christ  and 
lived  according  to  his  precepts  and  example,  did  so 
with  a full  knowledge  that  spies  and  traitors  were 
around,  dogging  their  footsteps  for  opportunities  to 
betray  them,  Judas  like,  into  the  hands  of  their 
enemies,  who  would  cause  them  to  seal  their  witness 
with  their  blood.  This  was  a world’s  revival. 

Political  vitality  was  one  of  the  immediate  conse- 
quences of  spiritual  light,  and  immediately  after  the 
Puritans  rose  into  notice  there  began  to  be  an  improve- 
ment in  the  composition  of  parliaments.  The  good 
people  were  in  communication,  by  means  of  trusted 
agents,  with  men  in  high  positions  all  over  the  land, 
and  when  new  members  were  to  be  chosen  for  the 
lower  house,  the  conventicle,  in  an  out-house  or} 
barn,  beoame  for  the  time  a primary  and  caucus 


350 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


without  the  pernicious  intervention  of  ward  bum- 
mers. Brethren  with  special  gifts  and  grace  were 
importuned  to  assume  the  representative  power,  and 
failing  success  in  that  way,  gentlemen  who  were 
known  to  be  favorable  to  the  cause,  although  they 
had  not  yet  openly  embraced  it,  received  the  sup- 
port of  the  party,  who  could  always  muster  at  the 
hustings  a sufficient  band  to  outvote  the  sheriff’s 
nominees.  In  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  the  house 
of  commons  gave  so  much  offence  to  that  imperious 
monarch  by  deliberating  for  a whole  day  upon 
one  of  his  demands,  that  after  the  grant  had 
been  voted  he  ungraciously  told  the  house  that  it 
was  well  the  vote  had  passed,  as  otherwise  he 
would  have  taken  a few  of  their  heads  to  adorn 
Tower  Hill.  It  was  no  assemblage  of  lackeys  and 
dependents  that  would  scrutinize  the  proposals  of 
Henry  VIII.  even  for  a day,  for  the  Tudors  wore 
gauntlets  of  steel,  and  seldom  cared  for  silken  cov- 
erings to  disguise  their  means  of  operation.  The 
marriage  of  Henry  VIII.  with  his  brother’s  widow, 
Katharine  of  Aragon,  aunt  of  Charles  V.,  King 
of  Spain  and  Emperor  of  Germany,  did  not  result 
in  the  birth  of  a son,  and  the  whole  country  dreaded 
civil  war  unless  a male  successor  to  the  throne 
should  be  given  to  the  nation,  to  shut  out  the  pos- 
sibility of  a Scottish  succession,  through  the  mar- 
riage of  Henry’s  sister  Margaret  into  the  Stuart 
family,  reigning  in  that  kingdom.  Had  a son  been 
born  to  Henry,  he  would  probably  have  accepted 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


351 


that  fact  as  an  indication  of  heaven’s  blessing;  but 
failing  that  mark  of  favor,  he  asked  the  court  of 

Rome  to  dissolve  the  union.  The  marriage  of 

Henry  with  the  widow  of  his  brother  Arthur, 

which  was  arranged  when  he  was  only  twelve 

years  old,  would  have  been  impossible  under  the 
canons  of  the  papacy  for  valid  reasons,  had  not 
the  Pope  given  special  permission;  and  now,  when 
Henry  was  at  the  prime  of  life,  and  his  Spanish 
wife,  always  more  dignified  than  beautiful,  was  stricken 
in  years,  with  no  offspring  but  an  atrabilious,  sickly 
and  unamiable  girl,  Mary,  his  conscience  tormented 
him  with  doubts  whether  the  union  had  not  been 
cursed  of  God  because  he  had  been  married  within  the 
forbidden  degrees.  It  was  no  answer  to  his  scruples 
to  say  that  there  was  no  consanguinity  between  the 
parties;  in  that  age,  men  bowed  down  to  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  church  as  implicitly  as  to  nature’s 
laws,  and  the  fact  that  no  son  had  been  born  was 
evidence  of  heaven’s  displeasure  as  well  as  a menace 
to  the  continuity  of  the  Tudor  line.  Parliament 
was  of  the  same  mind  with  the  king. 

The  pope,  appealed  to  by  Henry  for  relief,  prom- 
ised a divorce,  and  Cardinal  Campeggio  was  dis- 
patched to  England  to  commence  the  necessary 
proceedings,  for  Henry  was  in  high  favor  with 
Rome,  having  been  honored  from  the  Vatican  with 
the^  title,  Didei  Defensor , or  Defender  of  the  F aith, 
because  he  had  written  and  published  under  his 
royal  hand  a reply  to  the  anti-papal  strictures  of 


352 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Martin  Luther.  Just  there  commenced  a difficulty 
which  proved  ultimately  advantageous  to  England. 
The  nephew  of  Katharine,  Charles  V.,  was  answer- 
ing Luther  by  hard  knocks  at  the  temporal  pos- 
sessions of  his  princely  supporters,  and  therefore 
when  he,  at  the  head  of  the  greatest  armaments 
in  Europe,  wielding  the  powers  of  two  courts, 
Spain  and  Germany,  demurred  to  the  divorce  as  a 
reflection  upon  the  honor  and  fair  fame  of  his 
aunt,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  pope 
allowed  the  proceedings  of  Cardinal  Campeggio  to 
be  arrested,  or  at  any  rate  to  move  so  slowly  that 
they  might  as  well  have  ceased.  It  is  the  custom 
with  a certain  class  of  writers  to  assume  that  Henry 

was  only  a libidinous  monarch,  seeking  the  gratifi- 

cation of  his  passions  in  the  proposed  divorce,  and 
even  Gray,  the  poet,  ascribes  the  zeal  of  the  king 
to  his  marital  designs  on  Anne  Boleyn: 

“ When  love  could  teach  a monarch  to  be  wise. 

And  gospel  light  first  dawned  in  Bullen’s  eyes.” 

We  know  enough  of  kings  and  princes  to  grasp 

the  fact  that  when  they  are  viciously  disposed,  mar-  - 
riages  and  divorces  are  among  the  smallest  matters 1 
they  care  for,  and  it  seems  as  though  the  green 

earth  spawned  panderers  to  minister  to  their  lusts. 
Henry  sought  a legal  union  from  which  might  be 
born  an  heir  to  England’s  throne,  and  if  he  blun- 
dered in  the  means  employed  it  was  a fault  of  the 
same  class,  but  more  excusable,  than  that  which 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


353 


induced  Napoleon  to  divorce  the  Empress  Josephine 
and  seek  an  alliance  with  the  house  of  Austria, 
although  we  do  not  find  people  alleging  lust  as 
the  cause  of  that  unhappy  union  with  Maria  Louise. 

It  is  unimportant  for  our  sketch  of  parliamentary 
development  whether  Henry  was  loyal  to  the  nation, 
and  the  line  of  Tudor,  or  anxious  only  for  carnal 
pleasure,  but  in  all  such  matters,  it  is  well  to  aim 
at  correct  impressions,  even  in  the  side  issues  that 
arise,  hence  we  have  been  at  some  pains  to  investi- 
gate the  bona  Jides  of  the  king;  and  as  the  outcome 
of  our  research,  the  facts  so  far  as  they  are  known, 
are  in  the  hands  of  the  reader.  Rome  played  fast 
and  loose  on  the  divorce  question  until  king  and 
parliament  were  disgusted,  and  eventually  England 
was  severed  from  the  see  of  Rome  to  become  an- 
other papacy  with  Henry  for  its  head.  The  divorce 
was  then  obtained  in  the  king’s  own  courts.  Anne 
Boleyn  was  made  Queen,  and  once  again  a daugh- 
ter only  survived  from  the  marriage.  Papal  author- 
ity was  set  aside  by  a parliamentary  act  setting  forth 
that  the  Bishop  of  Rome  had  no  more  power  in 
England  than  any  other  foreign  bishop.  This  act 
of  1535  was  final  on  that  question  excepting  only 
the  brief  reign  of  Queen  Mary.  Anne  Boleyn,  ac- 
cused of  unfaithfulness,  on  evidence  that  would  not 
satisfy  a Chicago  divorce  court,  was  executed  in  1536, 
having  been  married  only  three  years,  and  her 
daughter  Elizabeth  subsequently  reigned.  Jane  Sey- 
mour, Anne  of  Cleves,  Catharine  Howard  and  Cath- 

2* 


354 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


arine  Parr  were  successively  married  to  Henry,  and 
by  the  third  wife  he  obtained  a son  to  succeed  him 
as  Edward  VI.  Jane  Seymour  died  in  1537,  Anne 
of  Cleves  was  only  his  wife  nominally,  Catharine 
Howard  was  rightfully  put  to  death  for  infidelity, 
and  the  widow,  Catherine  Parr,  survived  him  to 
marry  one  of  the  chief  of  her  former  subjects.  Par- 
liaments were  usually  obedient  to  Henry  VIII,  but 
whether  that  arose  from  too  great  deference  for  the 
king  or  from  reasonable  concurrence  in  his  states- 
manlike policy,  it  would  be  difficult  to  determine  to 
the  satisfaction  of  every  enquiring  mind. 

Parliaments  became  more  Puritanical,  because  the 
people  were  becoming  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
views  of  the  Reformers  but  the  aristocracy  were 
largely  of  the  old  faith,  and  if  the  power  of  the 
Commons  had  not  been  very  strong  for  Henry  it  may 
be  easily  imagined  that  his  lease  of  power  would 
have  been  brief.  Many  of  his  nobles  were  able 
individually  to  bring  more  strength  into  the  field 
than  the  king,  as  he  had  no  standing  army,  and 
indeed  no  armed  force  whatever,  worth  naming, 
except  the  Buffetiers , since  called  Beef-eaters,  because 
their  peaceful  conquests  are  confined  to  the  trencher. 
Great  rebellions  arose  in  Henry’s  time,  the  Pilgrim- 
age of  Grace  as  it  was  called,  being  the  most  for- 
midable, but  the  king  subdued  by  tact  what  he 
might  have  failed  to  crush  by  force,  and  the  dan- 
gerous nobles  who  would  have  welcomed  the  ex- 
communication  of  Henry  and  the  declaration  that  he 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


355 


was  under  the  ban  of  the  Holy  See,  were*  severely 
dealt  with  under  the  law,  and  laid  to  rest  by  the 
hands  of  the  executioner.  The  claims  of  the  Puri- 
tans for  an  open  Bible  were  in  part  conceded  under 
the  advice  of  Thomas  Cranmer,  who  afterwards,  in 
the  reign  of  Mary,  died  an  unwilling  martyr.  The 
Bible  translated  by  him  or  under  his  direction  was 
under  the  king’s  authority  placed  in  church  choirs 
and  porches,  chained  to  desks  easy  of  access,  and 
the  people  were  at  one  time  encouraged  to  read  the 
word;  but  later  in  the  reign  the  right  to  read  the 
Scriptures  was  limited  to  certain  classes,  excluding 
apprentices  and  servants.  Henry  was  not  bold  enough 
to  risk  free  thought  in  its  entirety,  but  considering 
his  limitations  he  was  an  able  monarch  and  patriot 
although  he  contracted  his  tendencies  towards  reform 
by  the  maxims  of  statecraft. 

Henry  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Edward  VI., 
under  the  will  of  the  king,  which  had  been  admitted 
by  the  parliament  as  the  authority  that  should  de- 
termine the  succession.  He  was  only  ten  years  old 
when  called  to  the  throne  in  1547,  and  he  reigned 
only  six  years,  being  but  a weakly  and  ailing  boy 
at  the  best;  but  his  term  of  authority,  under  the 
protectorship  of  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  his  uncle, 
and  subsequently  under  John  Dudley,  Earl  of  War- 
wick, was  favorable  to  the  reformation,  and  therefore, 
by  reflex  action  to  the  parliament.  Following  the 
precedent  of  his  father,  Edward  was  induced  by  the 
Dudleys  to  make  a will,  appointing  the  Lady  Jane  Grey 


356 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


his  successor;  and  that  amiable  lady,  unfitted  by  nature 
to  play  the  part  of  usurper,  for  which  she  was  cast 
by  her  ambitious  father-in-law,  the  Earl  of  Warwick, 
and  her  husband,  Lord  Guildford  Dudley,  reigned 
like  “ a mockery  king  of  snow  ” only  twelve  days, 
after  which  she  was  consigned  to  the  tower  of  London 
by  order  of  Queen  Mary,  and  removed  thence  only 
to  be  beheaded,  as  were  the  others  implicated. 

Mary,  familiarly  known  to  Protestant  historians  and 
readers  as  bloody  Mary,  did  the  utmost  in  her  power 
to  win  the  sobriquet  that  attaches  to  her  name. 
Reigning  in  all  but  five  years,  religious  persecutions 
in  their  worst  form  were  confined  almost  entirely  to  the 
last  three  years,  and  within  that  term  five  hundred 
persons  were  put  to  death  for  conscience  sake,  under 
her  orders,  besides  thousands  of  others  who  were  sub- 
jected to  lesser  punishments.  The  reign  of  Mary 
is  an  era  for  which  Englishmen  may  well  blush.  She 
was  married  to  Phillip  II.,  of  Spain,  but  her  hus- 
band, after  a brief  term  of  residence  in  England, 
where  he  was  extremely  unpopular,  returned  to  his 
own  country,  and  could  not  be  tempted  back  again 
by  the  most  abject  appeals  of  his  wife.  So  far  as 
such  a course  was  possible,  Mary  restored  England  to 
the  fold  of  St.  Peter,  but  the  properties  of  the  church 
which  were  taken  by  Henry,  when  the  monasteries 
and  nunneries  were  disestablished,  had  been  distributed 
in  so  many  and  such  powerful  hands  that  the  work 
of  recuperation  could  not  be  attempted.  Eminent 
Catholics,  and  even  her  husband,  Phillip  II.,  who 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


357 


never  gave  up  his  hope  that  he  might  be  in  some 
way  his  wife’s  successor  on  the  throne  of  England, 
tried  hard  to  dissuade  the  queen  from  her  severities 
against  the  Puritans;  but  her  zeal  suffered  no  abate- 
ment to  the  end,  and  it  was  only  by  the  most  ex- 
traordinary tact  and  address,  that  Elizabeth,  daugh- 
ter of  Anne  Boleyn,  survived  the  daughter  of 
Catharine  of  Aragon  by  the  same  father.  Protest- 
ants, who  were  lukewarm  when  Mary  and  her 
* supporters  were  dispossessing  and  doing  to  death 
Jane  Grey  and  her  manipulators,  would  have  given 
all  that  they  possessed  in  this  world  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  reconsider  their  line  of  action  before  the 
reign  of  Mary  was  half  over,  and  on  the  whole, 
considered  in  that  way  but  in  none  other,  the  suc- 
cession of  Mary  was  advantageous. 

The  reign  of  Elizabeth  is  justly  considered  the 
most  illustrious  in  the  annals  of  England,  as  within 
that  term  the  greatest  names  in  literature  be- 
came known  to  the  world.  The  time  will  come 
when  the  parsimony  of  the  queen,  with  other  blem- 
ishes, chiefly  of  selfishness,  and  what  is  called  state- 
craft, will  detract  largely  from  the  high  esteem  in 
which  she  has  long  been  held,  but,  nevertheless, 
her  place  in  history  will  continue  to  be  glorious, 
because  of  such  names  as  Bacon,  Shakespeare,  Jon- 
son,  Spenser,  Sydney  and  others  identified  with  lit- 
erature, and  such  besides  as  Raleigh,  Drake,  Fro- 
bisher, Hawkins,  and  many  more  that  made  Eng- 
land mistress  of  the  seas.  When  the  great  queen 


358 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


came  to  the  throne  England  was  weak  and  poor, 
her  population  altogether  was  little  more  than  that 
of  London  to-day,  and  bands  of  sturdy  beggars 
could  be  met  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  willing 
to  enter  on  any  marauding  scheme  that  promised 
success  without  wholesoir  e work.  As  then  placed, 
England  could  hardly  have  held  her  own  against 
any  one  of  the  great  powers  of  Europe,  and  Eliz- 
abeth wisely  resolved  to  secure  peace  as  long  as 
peace  might  be  possible  without  absolute  dishonor. 
She  advised  parliament  to  devise  means  whereby  the 
sturdy  beggars  might  be  set  on  work,  and  she  played 
with  dangers  that  menaced  England  from  abroad 
by  allowing  every  court  to  believe  she  could  be 
won  in  marriage.  Her  half  sister’s  widower,  Phillip 
II.,  was  very  solicitous  to  win  her  hand,  and  she 
allowed  him  to  amuse  himself  with  hopes  and  fears 
until  she  became  strong  enough  to  answer  the  un- 
welcome suit  more  vigorously.  The  house  of  Valois 
was  then  the  ruling  dynasty  in  France,  and  so  con- 
tinued until  after  the  days  of  Black  Bartholomew, 
and  two  members  of  that  contemptible  family  with 
Medicean  blood  in  the  background,  were  in  suc- 
cession aspirants  for  her  hand.  She  listened  to  num- 
berless proposals,  of  all  kinds  from  nearly  every 
nation  in  Europe,  and  even  her  own  ministers  could 
not  tell  the  sinuosities  of  her  foreign  policy;  but 
all  the  time  she  builded  the  kingdom  over  which 
she  reigned,  and  by  all  means,  including  some  that 
an  Algerine  pirate  could  have  legitimately  applauded, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


359 


filled  her  treasury.  Open  air  preaching  of  the  re- 
formed faith  near  the  town  cross  under  a leaden 
roof  in  London,  was  one  of  her  means  to  govern 
public  opinion;  not  that  she  preached,  but  she  dic- 
tated the  lines  of  argument  and  illustration  welding 
church  and  state  together  with  mighty  blows,  which 
made  such  preaching  acceptable;  and  then  the  lesser 
lights  of  the  church  throughout  her  realm  were  ex- 
pected to  shape  their  utterances  to  the  same  stand- 
ard. Royal  progresses  were  made  occasionally  from 
castle  to  castle  and  places  of  less  note  were  in- 
cluded, the  people  so  honored  being  at  the  end  of 
such  visitations  much  impoverished  in  means,  and 
much  more  enthusiastic  for  the  royal  power  than 
they  had  been  before  the  last  of  the  Tudors  came 
that  way.  Gratitude,  the  French  say,  is  a lively 
sense  of  favors  to  come,  and  everyone  of  the  queen’s 
'proteges  felt  sure  that  some  great  thing  would  be 
done  for  the  family  by  her  Majesty.  Spanish  gal- 
leons on  their  way  from  South  America,  were  inter- 
cepted by  English  armaments  under  Sir  Francis 
Drake  and  other  such  commanders,  who  made  rich 
prizes  of  the  golden  cargoes  and  vessels,  although 
the  country  was  at  peace  with  Spain,  and  Elizabeth 
accepted  a lion’s  share  of  the  spoils,  while  sturdily 
denying  all  complicity  in  the  offence.  Thus  the 
hatred  and  contempt  for  Spanish  seamanship,  which 
had  long  been  latent  in  English  ports,  was  called 
out  and  strengthened,  while  every  prize  towed  into 


3G0 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKTSTESS. 


harbor  was  a means  for  the  enrichment  of  England’s 
defences. 

The  day  came  when  Philip  II.  of  Spain  could 
be  amused  with  vague  promises  of  consideration  no 
longer,  and  in  his  ports  the  long  threatened  Armada 
was  being  made  ready,  when  the  brave  Devonshire- 
man,  Sir  Francis  Drake,  the  circumnavigator  of  the 
globe,  second  to  no  man  in  sailor  craft  and  daring, 
swooped  down  upon  the  Spanish  coast  and  worked 
such  destruction  that  the  expedition  was  postponed 
for  a year.  The  invincible  Armada  came  at  last, 
bringing  thumb-screws,  racks,  boots,  and  every  in- 
genious instrument  of  torture  that  the  Inquisition 
could  suggest  as  a means  for  the  silencing  of  Puri- 
tan doubts,  combined  with  the  most  powerful  arma- 
ment that  Spain  had  ever  sent  afloat,  under  the 
command  of  the  most  illustrious  military  men  of 
the  time,  and  fortified  specially  with  the  papal 
blessing  for  the  discomfiture  of  heretics.  The  year 
1588  will  always  be  memorable  among  Englishmen 
because  of  the  frustration  of  the  designs  of  the 
Spaniard  which  was  then  witnessed.  There  were 
one  hundred  and  thirty  ships  in  the  Spanish 
fleet,  some  of  them  of  enormous  size,  under  the 
command  in  chief  of  the  Duke  of  Medina  Sidonia, 
with  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty-one 
guns  and  nineteen  thousand  soldiers,  and  they  were 
first  sighted  off  the  English  coast  one  night  in 
August,  1588.  Instantly  the  men  on  watch  sig- 
naled from  headland  to  peak,  until  the  whole  coast 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS* 


361 


was  a blaze  of  watch-fires  from  Plymouth  Hoe  to 
Penzance  on  the  one  side  and  to  Yarmouth  on  the 
other,  and  from  every  port  there  were  vessels  of 
all  arms  crowding  sail  to  meet  the  invader.  The 
main  fleet,  ridiculously  small  by  comparison  with 
that  of  Spain,  was  under  the  command  of  Lord  How- 
ard, of  Effingham,  and  the  queen  would  not  allow  to 
any  ship  more  ammunition  or  food  than  would  suf- 
fice for  two  days.  The  progress  of  the  fleet  was 
disputed  every  mile  of  the  way  along  the  English 
Channel  by  ships  so  small  that  the  Spanish  vessels 
towered  above  them  and  could  not  depress  their  guns 
sufficiently  to  do  execution,  while  every  shot  from 
the  defending  host,  fired  at  point-blank  range,  raked 
the  lower  decks  of  the  Castilians,  reducing  many 
of  the  sea  castles  to  a sinking  condition  at  the  first 
discharge.  Fire  ships  were  used  with  terrible  effect 
by  Lord  Howard,  and  the  Spaniards  must  have  con- 
cluded they  had  found  a coast  alive  with  sea  devils. 
The  strong  winds  and  storms  which  embarrassed 
the  Spaniards  upon  a hostile  shore  beyond  endur- 
ance, just  gave  to  the  Puritan  descendants  of  the 
sea  kings  of  yore  a capfull  of  wind  with  which  to 
maneuver,  so  that  after  discharging  a broadside 
they  would  ’bout  ship  and  give  the  foe  the  benefit 
of  the  other  set  of  guns  while  those  first  discharged 
were  being  sponged  out  and  reloaded.  Small  ves- 
sels, unable  to  obtain  from  the  royal  arsenals  more 
than  enough  powder,  shot  and  sustenance  for  two 
days,  made  a virtue  of  their  necessities,  assailed  and 


362 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


captured  Spanish  vessels  of  ten  times  their  tonnage,  and 
thus  secured  the  means  for  further  operations  against 
the  enemy.  Never  was  such  discomfiture  wrought 
by  so  small  a force  since  the  fall  of  Goliath  be- 
fore the  sling  and  stone  of  the  boy,  David.  Yet 
there  was  not  in  either  case  a miracle,  the  means 
employed  by  intrepid  hands  were  sufficient  for  the 
emergency.  The  fire  ships  used  by  Lord  Howard 
were  the  means  of  capturing  twelve  large  vessels, 
and  the  Duke  of  Medina-Sidonia  was  convinced 
that  he  had  made  a mistake  in  his  calling,  To  re- 
turn by  the  way  of  the  British  Channel  was  not 
possible,  for  the  English  fleet  was  being  reinforced 
every  hour;  there  was  not  a fishing  smack  left 
on  the  beach  in  any  sheltered  nook  on  the  rock- 
bound  coast  of  Albion  but  presently  some  Puritan 
crew  would  arm  and  man  her  to  fight  Spain  in 
the  offing,  and  with  a “Yo,  heave  yo!’ 5 that  could 
be  heard  over  the  billows,  she  was  run  down  into 
the  sea  to  carry  her  quota  of  courage  to  the  spot 
where  the  battle  for  the  Bible  was  being  fought. 
Better  would  it  have  been  for  Spain  if  the  Duke 
had  concluded  to  surrender  with  all  his  force,  but 
he  dared  not  for  shame.  There  was  a way  out 
that  competent  seamen  could  have  made  safe  around 
the  Orkney  Islands,  and  by  that  course  the  Spanish 
ships  were  signaled  they  must  return  to  Spain, 
abandoning  the  long  contemplated  invasion.  The 
coasts  of  Scotland  and  Ireland  were  strewed  with 
wrecks  of  the  great  Armada  for  years  afterwards; 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


363 


the  chivalry  of  Spain  was  destroyed,  and  that  country 
has  never  since  enjoyed  her  former  status  among 
nations.  The  warlike  enterprise  of  Spain  shrank  and 
withered  from  that  hour;  the  inquisition,  denied  con- 
quests elsewhere,  settled  with  a deathly  grip  upon 
Spain  itself,  and  the  genius  of  Cervantes,  stunted 
of  its  fair  results,  has  found  no  succession  in  the  in- 
tellect of  that  country  worthy  of  the  promise  of 
44  Don  Quixote.” 

The  genius  of  England  was  now  fairly  roused, 
and  the  puritanism  of  the  farm-house  and  the  coast- 
line was  only  on  a par  with  that  of  London  and 
the  large  towns.  Parliaments  were  ablaze  with  love 
of  liberty,  and  patriotism  became  the  soul  of  the  na- 
tion. Elizabeth,  having  sold  injurious  monopolies  to 
enrich  her  treasury,  was  surrounded  in  the  street  by 
a resolute  populace,  in  deference  to  whom  she  re- 
voked the  monopolies,  but  retained  the  price  which 
the  once-favored  suitors  had  paid  for  the  privilege. 
The  queen  died  in  1603,  and  the  Scottish  succession, 
so  long  dreaded,  came  in  the  person  of  James  I., 
who  hated"'  liberty,  and  preached  without  ceasing,  by 
word  and  deed,  his  faith  in  the  divine  right  of  kings 
to  misgovern  the  world.  Parliaments  were  hateful 
to  him,  but,  spite  of  all  his  kingcraft,  he  could  no^ 
dispense  with  their  assistance,  and  his  tyrannical  as- 
pirations were  daily  curbed  by  a sturdy  band  of  pa- 
triots, whose  names  will  never  die.  Death  overtook 
the  master  of  lying  and  deceit,  and  the  consequences 
of  his  training  fell  with  deadly  influence  upon  his 


364 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


son  Charles  a few  years  later.  There  could  be  no 
supplies  legally  obtained  without  parliamentary  grants, 
and  when  the  Commons  were  asked  for  money,  they 
demanded,  first  of  all,  the  redress  of  grievances,  with 
such  men  as  Sir  John  Eliot,  John  Pym,  John  Hamp- 
den and  Oliver  Cromwell  to  the  fore — a band  of 
heroes  and  statesmen  that  might  raise  even  Spain  to 
eminence,  could  their  greatness  transfuse  a race  as 
odors  fill  the  air. 

I do  not  try  to  tell  my  children  all  the  story,  but 
the  major  facts  have  to  be  embodied  in  my  narrative. 
I tell  them  how  many  started  in  the  race,  and  how 
few  reached  the  goal  in  that  grand  struggle  for  par- 
liamentary rights.  Sir  John  Eliot,  as  noble  a man  as 
ever  breathed,  and  loyal  as  sunlight,  was  snatched 
away  from  family  and  friends,  by  the  king’s  orders, 
and  imprisoned  in  the  Tower  of  London  for  having 
spoken  freely  and  bravely  in  parliament,  as  was  his 
duty,  and  because  he  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to 
confess  himself  in  the  wrong  when  he  knew  that  he 
had  done  right,  he  was  retained  a prisoner  in  the 
tower  until  his  death,  after  which  his  family  were 
refused  even  the  privilege  of  his  bones  for  burial. 

One  man,,  named  Wentworth,  was  in  the  patriot 
band,  absolutely  fierce  in  denouncing  the  exactions 
and  falsities  of  Charles;  but  the  king  discovered  the 
weak  place  in  the  master  mind  of  the  statesman, 
and,  ministering  to  his  vanity  by  titles  and  preferment 
at  court,  the  earl  of  Strafford  forgot  the  principles 
which  as  Wentworth  he  had  advocated,  ,or  remem- 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


365 


bered  them  only  to  betray  the  sacred  trust  in  which 
he  had  joined  so  many  nobler  men.  John  Pym 
warned  his  old  associate  of  the  dangerous  path  that 
he  had  entered  on,  but  the  course  remained  un- 
changed, until  he  was  at  last  found  guilty  of  trea- 
son, and  beheaded  under  a warrant  from  the  royal 
master  to  whom  he  had  been  too  faithful. 

John  Pym  remained  in  his  place,  true  as  the  dial 
to  the  sun,  faithful  in  counsel,  daring  in  speech  as  he 
would  have  been  in  act,  until  the  civil  war  between 
king  and  commons  had  commenced,  and  then  he  was 
stricken  down  by  sickness,  and  removed  by  death  at 
the  moment  when  his  manly  co-operation  would  have 
been  of  the  highest  importance  to  his  friends  and 
colleagues  in  the  most  salutary  enterprise  of  modern 
time.  During  the  reign  of  James  he  suffered  im- 
prisonment for  having  opposed  the  measures  of  the 
government  in  the  commons,  but  that  did  not  dimin- 
ish his  courage.  As  lieutenant  of  the  ordnance  and 
as  chief  of  the  commission  in  London,  after  the  flight 
of  the  king,  the  greatness  of  his  possible  services  was 
already  being  shadowed  out  when  death  seized  him, 
almost  instantaneously.  Commencing  his  parliament- 
ary life  a wealthy  man,  he  utterly  impoverished  him- 
self in  the  service  of  the  country,  and  the  parlia- 
ment, after  his  death,  voted  fifty  thousand  dollars  to 
pay  his  debts.  John  Pym  confronted  James  at  New- 
market to  vindicate  the  rights  of  the  commons,  and 
either  of  the  kings  would  gladly  have  purchased  him 
with  wealth  and  honors,  but  he  was  above  tempta- 


366 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


tion.  He  drew  up  the  grand  remonstrance  denounc- 
ing the  wrongs  done  by  Charles,  conducted  the  im- 
peachment of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  as  well  as 
that  of  his  whilom  associate,  Strafford,  when  he 
proved  recreant.  In  the  short  parliament,  and  after- 
wards in  the  long  parliament,  as  they  are  respectively 
called,  he  was  the  leader  of  the  country  party,  and 
there  was  no  man  more  popular.  Could  the  king 
have  made  a prisoner  of  him  and  five  colleagues, 
he  believed  the  commons  could  be  controlled. 

John  Hampden,  who  died  of  wounds  received  on 
the  field  at  Chalgrove,  a Colonel  in  the  revolution- 
ary army,  stands  out  in  history  as  the  representative 
of  patriotism  and  purity  j)ar  excellence . He  was  of 
great  wealth,  and  related  to  Oliver  Cromwell;  in- 
deed, it  is  probable  that,  but  for  his  influence,  Oliver 
might  never  have  entered  parliament.  He  sat  in  the 
later  parliaments  of  James  I.,  being  first  elected  in 
1621,  taking  part  in  the  protest  against  the  proposed 
marriage  of  Charles  I.  to  a Spanish  princess,  and 
generally  allying  himself  with  the  country  party  in 
every  movement  against  the  arbitrary  encroachments 
of  the  crown,  although  at  first  his  position  was  third 
rate,  if  not  actually  obscure.  There  were  no  won- 
drous abilities  in  him;  like  Washington,  he  won  by 
moral  force,  rather  than  by  intellectual  prescience. 
But,  once  his  qualities  became  known,  none  looked 
upon  him  from  the  popular  side  but  to  admire. 
Hampden  was  a royalist  in  the  sense  of  believing 
that  a king  was  a necessary  part  in  good  govern- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


367 


ment;  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  insisted  upon  all 
needful  limitations  of  the  royal  prerogatives,  and 
would  not  allow  one  cent  to  be  collected  by  his 
majesty  without  parliamentary  authority.  When 
Charles  arbitrarily  levied  the  tax  known  as  ship 
money,  Hampden  fought  the  imposition  in  the  law 
courts,  and,  although  he  was  defeated  by  a corrupt 
decision  on  the  part  of  the  judges,  his  action  roused 
the  people  to  resistance.  When  the  king  fled  from 
London,  after  having  failed  to  arrest  the  five  members 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  in  1642,  John  Hampden 
was  one  of  the  most  active  in  organizing  armed  resist- 
ance to  the  royal  authority.  At  Edgehill  and  at 
Brentford,  John  Hampden  was  in  command  of  the 
cavalry,  and,  had  he  lived,  it  is  very  probable  he 
would  have  been  made  commander-in-chief  of  the  par- 
liamentary forces  instead  of  the  earl  of  Essex;  but,  at 
Chalgrove  Field,  June  17,  1643,  'm  an  r °f  cavalry 
with  the  fiery  Rupert,  Hampden  was  mortally  wound- 
ed, and  died  six  days  later. 

Oliver  Cromwell  alone  remained  of  that  sturdy 
little  band,  for  Denzil  Holies,  Sir  Harry  Vane  and 
others  of  that  type,  were  small  by  comparison  with 
the  leaders.  Had  the  others  lived,  Oliver  would 
probably  have  contented  himself  with  a subordinate 
position  to  the  end,  but  as  events  shaped  around 
him,  he  was  forced  into  prominence.  He  was  not 
an  ornamental  member  of  the  Commons,  but  he 
was  indefatigable.  Slow  and  hesitating  as  a speaker, 
his  thoughts  always  went  straight  to  the  goal  and 


368  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

could  not  be  confused.  He  owed  nothing  to  the  graces 
and  refinement  of  dress,  and  when  the  rupture  with 
the  king  was  precipitated  by  the  monarch,  he  was 
one  of  the  first  to  give  of  his  substance,  and  to  gird 
on  his  sword  in  the  parliamentary  cause  He  em- 
ployed a Dutch  general  to  teach  him  the  art  of 
war,  and  then  having  found  the  hired  soldiers  of 
the  parliament  but  indifferent  fighters,  without  an 
idea  of  honor  and  bravery,  and  only  a hireling’s  in- 
terest in  the  quarrel — he  began  to  recruit  his  regi- 
ment of  Ironsides  1,000  strong,  all  religious  men 
fighting  for  God  and  their  native  land.  That  act 
of  Cromwell’s  may  be  said  to  have  changed  the 
whole  aspect  of  the  war,  as  he  was  able  to  say 
of  his  Ironsides  truthfully,  when  threatening  Louis 
XIV.  of  France,  that  he  would  march  with  them 
to  Paris.  “ Indeed  they  never  have  been  beaten.’’ 
Hampden  said  of  Cromwell  years  before  the  civil 
war  commenced : “ If  we  ever  come  to  a breach 

with  the  king,  he  will  be  the  greatest  man  in  Eng- 
land.” He  was  the  commander  of  the  victorious 
left  wing  at  Marston  Moor,  which  held  its  position 
when  the  right  had  been  driven  in  confusion  by  Prince 
Rupert,  and  when  the  impetuous  Royalist  returned 
from  his  brilliant  achievement,  he  found,  to  his  sur- 
prise, that  Cromwell  with  the  left  wing  had  achieved 
a glorious  victory  for  the  people.  In  the  engage- 
ment at  Naseby,  June,  1645,  command  contrib- 
uted in  no  small  degree  to  the  decisive  victory,  and 
Xiis  wisdom  in  administration  was  equal  to  his  in- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


369 


trepidity  in  battle;  to  say  more  of  any  man  under 
any  circumstances  would  be  superfluous.  The  par- 
liament was  quite  inclined  to  constitute  itself  the  gov- 
ernment instead  of  the  king  after  Charles  had  given 
himself  up  to  the  Scotch  forces,  but  Cromwell  and 
the  army  thought  differently.  His  proceedings  in 
Scotland  and  in  Ireland  fastened  popular  attention 
upon  him,  and  marked  him  out  as  the  one  man 
who  could  save  the  nation  from  anarchy.  He  was, 
as  we  might  imagine,  a man  sitting  in  a carriage, 
behind  a nerveless  driver,  in  just  such  an  emergency 
as  might  have  cost  the  lives  of  all  concerned;  and 
without  pausing  to  consider  whether  such  an  act 
might  be  called  usurpation,  he  quietly  assumed  the 
reins,  controlled  the  frightened  steeds,  reduced  their 
pace  to  rule,  and  drove  them  in  safety  along  the 
brink  of  the  precipice  which  otherwise  they  must 
have  dashed  over.  The  protectorate  of  Cromwell 
made  England  a first-class  power,  able  to  dictate 
terms  to  the  Pope  at  Rome,  in  favor  of  religious 
toleration,  and  to  Louis  XIV.  of  France,  to  compel 
good  faith.  John  Milton,  the  poet,  was  his  secre- 
tary and  admiring  friend.  It  was  the  spirit  of 
Cromwell  that  was  in  his  Ironsides,  and  without 
them  and  him  the  outcome  of  the  first  civil  war 
might  have  been  disastrous  to  parliamentary  govern- 
ment, and  civil  as  well  as  religious  liberty.  Eng- 
land has  not  yet  adequately  honored  its  greatest  man 
in  the  science  of  government.  He  deserves  to  rank, 

and  in  the  esteem  of  future  ages,  will  rank  side  by 
24 


370 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


side  with  Bacon  and  Shakespeare,  in  their  respective 
faculties,  as  the  poet,  the  philosopher  and  the  states- 
man-administrator. 

When  Cromwell  died,  his  noblest  son  having  per- 
ished in  the  civil  war,  there  was  no  one  of  his 
family  worthy  and  able  to  succeed  him.  His  son 
Richard,  wearied  by  cabals  that  his  father  would 
have  extinguished,  resigned  the  protectorate  to  which 
he  was  not  equal,  and  in  the  imminent  dread  of  an- 
archy the  parliament  hastily  convened  for  the  pur- 
pose, called  to  the  throne  Charles  II.,  the  third  in 
the  Stuart  line,  and  in  some  respects  the  worst. 
Parliaments  had  fallen  from  their  high  estate,  as 
congress  and  all  institutions  must  fall  after  protracted 
civil  war,  and  until  better  conditions  have  been  re- 
gained. The  gaiety  of  the  court  of  Charles  sur- 
rounded wrongs  of  all  kinds  with  a glitter  that 
was  preferred  by  meretricious  thinkers  to  the  som- 
bre excellence  of  Puritanism,  and  the  tyrannical  exac- 
tions of  James  II.,  brother  of  Charles,  merging  into 
popery,  were  necessary  to  rouse  the  people  to  put  an 
end  to  the  Stuart  dynasty.  The  daughter  of  James  II., 
when  duke  of  York,  had  been  married  to  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  who  was  holding  together  the  weaker  pow- 
ers of  Europe,  to  oppose  the  designs  of  the  con- 
queror, Louis  XIV.,  of  France.  William,  Prince  of 
Orange,  was  a thorough  Protestant,  and  came  of  a 
trusty  race,  tried  in  the  fires  of  persecution  'by 
Spain  and  the  forces  under  the  cruel  Duke  of  Alva, 
and  to  him  the  Protestants  of  England  looked  for 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


371 


relief.  He  would  not  take  rank,  as  some  hoped  he 
might,  a kind  of  prime  minister  to  his  wife,  who  was 
heir  to  the  throne  failing  male  descent,  so  he  was 
made  king,  and  his  wife  queen,  by  act  of  parliament, 
after  James  II.  had  fled  from  the  kingdom,  overawed 
by  the  general  discontent.  The  revolution  of  1688  was 
an  addendum  to  the  civil  war,  a chapter  overlooked 
in  the  first  edition,  and  necessary  to  complete  the 
book.  The  war  in  Ireland,  corrujDtions  in  parlia- 
ment and  kingdom,  treason  in  army  and  navy,  and 
claims  of  successive  Stuarts  to  the  throne,  although 
parliament  had  limited  hereditary  rights  to  Protest- 
ants by  express  declaratory  act,  kept  the  nation  in 
turmoil  for  nearly  a hundred  years,  and  then  better 
conditions  came  slowly,  but  surely,  with  the  open-air 
preachings  and  revival  services  of  John  Wesley, 
the  founder  of  the  great  Methodist  Church,  which 
now  reckons  its  adherents  by  millions  on  this  conti- 
nent and  in  Europe. 

After  William  and  Mary  were  both  dead,  Queen 
Anne  reigned  a few  years,  plotting  more  or  less  to 
secure  the  throne  at  her  death  for  her  brother,  but 
her  death  came  suddenly,  and  the  whigs  or  reform 
party,  destroyed  the  plans  of  the  slow-moving  tories, 
by  proclaiming  the  Elector  of  Hanover,  George  I, 
King  of  England.  His  claim  consisted  in  his  being  a 
Protestant  by  profession  and  having  descended  from 
James  I.,  by  a daughter  that  was  married  to  the 
Elector  Palatine  early  in  the  seventeenth  century. 
Parliament,  under  Walpole,  as  under  many  of  his 


372 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


predecessors,  from  the  accession  of  Charles  II.,  was, 
if  possible,  more  corrupt  than  a well  lobbied  congress, 
but  the  forces  at  work  in  the  kingdom,  cleansing 
public  morals,  prepared  the  way  for  better  things. 
The  Church  of  England  was  a scandal  to  the  nation, 
preachings  were  formal  exercises  in  which  thousands 
of  indifferent  men  engaged  for  a living,  which  was 
often  spent  in  vice  and  riot.  John  Wesley  and  his 
brother  Charles,  and  George  Whitfield,  prepared  for 
that  Church,  but  touched  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  com- 
menced a series  of  truly  wonderful  services,  by  which 
their  lives  were  many  times  imperilled,  and  under 
the  influences  therefrom  arising  the  moral  tone  of  the 
English  people  has  risen  to  a standard  even  higher 
than  that  which  preceded  the  birth  of  Cromwell,  or  to 
place  it  in  other  words,  the  tone  of  mind  which  in 
his  day  belonged  only  to  a few  is  now  slowly  be- 
coming the  heritage  of  the  whole  people.  Parlia- 
ments could  not  remain  corrupt  while  churches  and 
the  newly  expanded  press  were  purifying  the  Augean 
stable  of  the  community,  so  reform  bills  were  de- 
manded and  carried,  power  was  broadened  at  its 
base  by  extending  the  right  to  vote  among  the 
people,  and  now  the  parliament  of  England  is 
the  highest  and  most  powerful  legislative  body  that 
the  world  has  ever  seen. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity, 

Which,  like  the  toad,  ugly  and  venomous, 

Wears  yet  a precious  jewel  in  his  head; 

And  this  our  life,  exempt  from  public  haunt, 

Finds  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 
Sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything. 

— Shakespea  re . 

The  man  that  hath  no  music  in  himself, 

Nor  is  not  moved  with  concord  of  sweet  sounds, 

Is  fit  for  treasons,  stratagems,  and  spoils; 

The  motions  of  his  spirit  are  dull  as  night, 

And  his  affections  dark  as  Erebus. 

Let  no  such  man  be  trusted. 

— Shakespeare . 

Music  was  now  the  daily  topic  of  my  discourse, 
as  well  as  the  delight  of  my  home,  and  I found  in 
all  my  experiences  how  sweet  are  the  uses  of  ad- 
versity. There  had  been  no  sorrow,  however  dark, 
but  it  had  been  sanctified  to  wise  purposes,  and  I have 
learned  to  value  sterling  friends  the  better  for  having 
been  compelled  to  test  their  devotion  under  circum- 
stances which  would  have  scattered  the  motes  in 
the  sunshine  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven.  On  one 
of  my  visits  to  Madison,  Wisconsin,  the  capital  city 
of  the  State,  where  I had  gone  in  the  prosecution 
of  my  business  and  to  enjoy  the  company  of  my 
friend  Professor  Anderson,  it  was  my  pleasure  to  be 

introduced  by  him  to  the  Hon.  Charles  E.  Jones,  now 

373 


374 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


located  in  the  City  of  Chicago  as  principal  of  the 
Bureau  of  Literature,  and  to  him  I am  indebted 
for  the  idea,  which,  until  then  had  never  taken  form 
in  my  mind,  of  presenting  this,  my  autobiography, 
to  the  public.  I afterwards  found  that  Mr.  Jones  had 
been  for  many  years  in  Australia,  in  which  country 
he  has  filled  the  very  highest  positions  as  Minister 
of  the  Crown  in  the  Colony  of  Victoria,  having  been 
a responsible  minister  and  member  of  parliament, 
commissioner  of  railways,  bridges  and  public  works; 
and  also,  which  to  me  was  far  more  interest- 
ing, having  been  one  of  the  representatives  of  the 
city  and  gold  field  of  Ballarat  in  parliament  when 
my  father-in-law  and  my  wife’s  brother  were  gold 
miners.  Through  his  kindness  I have  been  enabled 
to  learn  many  curious  facts  concerning  Mr.  Boyer, 
which  otherwise  might  never  have  seen  the  light  of 
day,  and  to  my  brother  Fred.  I am  indebted  for 
one  incident  which  deeply  impressed  my  mind  at  the 
time  and  has  never  lost  its  significance.  Soon  after 
Fred.’s  arrival  on  Ballarat  he  went  with  his  father 
to  attend  a great  political  meeting,  in  which  the 
speech  of  the  evening  was  delivered  by  Mr.  Jones. 
The  speech  was  little  better  than  heathen  Greek  to 
Fred.,  as  at  that  time  he  had  not  mastered  English  to 
any  extent,  but  he  was  able  to  drink  in  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  hour  and  to  comprehend  some  few 
ringing  phrases,  with  which  the  orator  brought  up 
his  audience  to  fever  heat;  besides  which,  the  deep 
interest  evinced  by  his  father  showed  him  that  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DA  IIIv  NESS. 


375 


occasion  was  one  to  be  remembered.  At  the  close 
of  the  oration,  for  the  impassioned  eloquence  to  which 
he  had  listened  was  more  than  a speech,  the  old 
gentleman,  although  he  wore  the  rough  attire  of  a 
miner,  was  ushered  to  the  front  and  introduced  to 
the  popular  member,  and  as  the  father  and  son  went 
home  together  that  night  the  old  man  said  in  the 
vernacular  in  which  they  usually  conversed  when 
alone,  “ I am  more  pleased  to  have  shaken  hands 
with  that  man  than  if  I had  conversed  with  the 
king.”  Since  that  time  many  opportunities  have  been 
afforded  me  to  become  acquainted  with  the  sterling 
qualities  of  the  man  to  whom  Mr.  Boyer  referred, 
and  I have  found  his  insight  as  to  character  fully 
justified  by  my  experiences. 

In  the  abandon  of  friendly  intercourse  I told  some 
few  incidents  of  my  life,  as  they  have  been  narrated 
here,  and  to  my  surprise  was  encouraged  to  proceed 
time  after  time,  until  the  retentive  memory  of  my 
friend  was  fully  charged  with  what  he  was  pleased 
to  call  a u lifetime  of  peaceful  adventure.”  Having 
mastered  the  main  facts  of  my  career,  in  the  man- 
ner indicated,  Mr.  Jones  advised  me  to  offer  the 
volume  to  the  reading  public,  as  a contribution  to 
literature  which  could  not  fall  still-born  from  the 
press;  and  ‘notwithstanding  all  my  doubts  I was 
happily  for  myself  prevailed  upon  to  become  an 
author,  with  the  principal  of  the  Bureau  of  Literature 
as  my  editor.  I must  not  allow  this  opportunity 
to  pass  without  expressing  my  conviction  that  no 

ar 


376 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


author  has  ever  had  more  faithful  and  painstaking 
aid  from  an  editor  than  I have  been  favored  with 
by  Mr.  Jones. 

Visiting  Chicago  in  order  to  be  near  Mr.  Jones, 
who  for  two  long  years  had  my  MSS.  under  care- 
ful supervision,  I found  one  of  the  playfellows  of 
my  childhood  holding  the  dignified  position  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  in  that  city,  and  respected  by  all 
classes  for  the  manly  integrity  with  which  he  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  office;  and  it  was  a de- 
light to  me  to  be  able  to  gather,  partly  from  his 
own  lips  and  partly  from  other  sources,  the  outline 
of  his  services  to  the  Union.  When  the  war  broke 
out,  he  was  among  the  first  that  enlisted,  in  answer 
to  the  call  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  when  the  stars  and 
stripes  had  been  fired  upon  by  the  Confederates. 
The  story  of  Fort  Sumter  has  been  so  often  told 
that  it  is  needless  to  say  how  the  North  responded 
with  armed  men,  when  the  flag  had  been  assailed. 
My  boy  companion,  C.  R.  Matson,  son  of  a Scan- 
dinavian farmer  in  Oakland,  was  one  of  the  thou- 
sands that  hurried  to  the  front  to  avenge  the  wrong 
and  sustain  the  Union,  and  for  more  than  four 
years  he  remained  where  duty  called  him,  among 
the  Wisconsin  contingent  of  that  immense  force 
which  vindicated  the  essential  justice  and  irrepress- 
ible strength  of  Uncle  Sam.  I have  heard  my 
friend  speak  incidentally  of  the  engagements  at  Forts 
Henry  and  Donelson  in  which  he  took  part,  but  have 
never  succeeded  in  drawing  from  him  a detailed  state- 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


377 


ment  of  the  fights  in  which  he  participated.  Know-* 
ing  the  gallantry  of  his  nature  as  a boy,  and  the 
dignity  of  his  deportment  as  an  administrator  of  the 
law,  I am  at  no  loss  to  understand  the  part  he 
must  have  played  in  the  bloody  arbitrament  of  war. 
The  records,  which  no  modesty  can  cloak,  show  that 
Justice  Matson  entered  the  13th  Wisconsin  Regiment 
as  a private,  and,  by  a succession  of  services  at  once 
faithful  and  courageous,  won  advancement  steadily 
until  the  end,  wher*  he  was  mustered  out  as  an 
officer,  bearing  the  commission  of  the  United  States. 
Settling  down,  when  the  cruel  war  was  over,  in 
the  city  where  he  now  resides,  his  habits  as  a stu- 
dious, law-abiding  citizen,  under  fortunate  circum- 
stances led  to  his  being  marked  for  preferment,  and 
by  steps  well  earned  he  reached  the  position  which 
he  has  filled  with  honor  for  many  years.  It  is 
not  difficult  to  understand  that  his  manly  qualities 
and  his  professional  acumen  added  to  an  eloquence 
that  never  fails,  will  procure  for  him  yet  higher 
honors  at  the  hands  of  the  people.  When  we  met 
in  Chicago,  after  many  years  of  separation,  it  was 
delightful  to  find  my  friend  unchanged  in  all  the 
attributes  that  pleased  me  in  our  earlier  companion- 
ship, and  I have  been  indebted  to  him  for  many 
signal  kindnesses.  The  Scandinavian  stedfastness, 
which  is  exemplified  in  Justice  Matson,  is  winning 
for  our  compatriots  all  through  the  Northwest  an 
ennobling  recognition  which  must  gratify  the  nation- 
ality so  honored,  while  it  redounds  to  the  advantage 


378 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  the  whole  community.  I could  not  say  less  of 
my  friend,  in  justice  to  what  I have  realized,  but 
it  would  be  easy  to  say  much  more  with  truth, 
if  it  were  not  for  my  fear  that  my  language  might 
be  supposed  too  flattering  or  too  partial. 

There  are  a few  friends  that  must  be  mentioned 
before  the  blind  man  lays  down  his  pen,  and  there 
is  no  time  more  apt  than  the  present.  In  order  to 
bring  my  book  under  the  notice  of  the  jzmblic,  it 
was  necessary  to  find  worthy  agents,  and  where 
others  would  have  trusted  their  sight  mainly,  I had 
to  supplement  the  other  senses  by  using  the  eyes 
of  my  friends.  I could  learn  much  from  the  tones 
of  a voice,  from  the  grasp  of  a hand,  from  the 
sound  of  a footstep,  from  the  mental  habits  of  the  per- 
sons with  whom  I conversed,  and  from  the  essence  of 
a man’s  life  which  surrounds  him  speaking  for  him  or 
against  him  unconsciously  every  hour  of  the  day;  but 
after  all,  I was  fain  to  seek  the  counsel  of  my  friends 
almost  always  before  making  an  appointment.  In  that 
way  I found  myself  much  beholden  to  my  good 
friend,  P.  Olson,  of  Calmar,  Iowa,  with  whom  I first 
foregathered  in  Milwaukee,  years  since,  when  I 
was  engaged  in  the  broom  business.  Since  that 
time  I have'  seen  him  in  his  home,  in  the  midst  of 
his  prosperous  enterprises,  and  in  every  instance  his 
influence  upon  my  life  has  been  most  beneficial. 
The  name  has  for  me  a pleasant  significance,  and 
whenever  I find  an  Olson,  I am  pre-disposed  to 
discover  a friend  faithful  in  counsel  and  liberal  in 


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379 


deed.  More  might  be  said  without  approaching 
the  limits  marked  by  the  demonstrated  kindness  of 
my  tried  friend  in  Calmar;  to  say  less  would  be 
ungrateful. 

I have  said  that  the  name  Olson  has  a pleasant 
significance  in  my  mind,  and  that  fact  arises  in 
part  from  my  contact  with  Christ.  Olson  of  Cam- 
bridge, Wisconsin,  a young  merchant  of  first-class 
business  qualifications,  to  whom  I shall  owe  many 
substantial  acts  of  kindness  as  long  as  I live.  It  is 
easy  to  repay  every  business  obligation  with  inter- 
est that  makes  the  advantage  mutual;  .but  when  a 
merchant,  whose  every  hour  can  be  converted  into 
current  coin,  steps  aside  from  his  business  pursuits 
for  a time  to  give  the  advantage  of  his  commercial 
insight  to  one  whose  claims  would  be  considered 
merely  nominal  by  thousands  similarly  situated,  the 
heart  of  the  benejiciare  must  be  made  of  unim- 
pressionable stuff  if  he  is  not  moved  to  express  his 
appreciation.  I hope  the  day  may  come  when  it 
will  be  in  my  power  to  render  some  service  to 
Christ.  Olson  of  Cambridge,  but  until  that  time 
arrives  I must  content  myself  with  these  few  words 
of  grateful  remembrance. 

O.  Storlee,  of  Milwaukee,  patentee  of  the  Storlee 
Horse  Power,  and  of  the  best  self-binder  in  the 
world,  is  a man  so  engrossed  in  his  mechanical  pur- 
suits that  at  the  first  glance  one  would  conclude 
his  attention  could  not  be  won  from  the  operations 
of  his  workshop,  where  every  known  power  in 


380 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


mechanics  is  represented  by  appropriate  models  or 
diagrams,  ready  for  consultation  or  application  in 
working  out  his  own  designs  for  labor-saving 
machinery.  Contrary  to  all  such  anticipations,  I 
found  in  Mr.  Storlee  a sterling  friend,  who  would 
quit  his  work  bench  without  a murmur  upon  the  first 
hint  of  a need  for  his  assistance,  as  though  his  time 
had  no  value  either  for  himself  or  the  vvorld  which 
could  not  be  compensated  by  the  knowledge  of  a 
deed  of  kindness  wisely  done.  I believe  that  he  is 
in  the  habit  of  finding  rest  for  his  intellectual 
powers  in  the  cultivation  of  the  higher  sentiments 
and  the  moral  faculties,  and  that  after  such  exercises 
he  returns  to  his  occupation  as  an  inventor  like  a 
giant  refreshed.  The  value  of  his  many  inventions 
and  improvements  has  already  been  recognized  by 
purchases  and  royalties,  and  his  fame  is  established 
among  those  best  qualified  to  scrutinize  actual  merit, 
so  that  I cannot  hope  to  do  him  any  good  by  my 
few  weak  words  of  commendation;  but  neverthe- 
less there  is  a satisfaction  to  myself  in  the  knowl- 
edge that  I have  endeavored  to  discharge  my  duty 
toward  one  of  nature’s  noblemen,  who  has  many  a 
time  and  oft  done  more  — aye,  very  much  more  — 
than  his  duty  by  me. 

There  is  one  friend  in  Milwaukee  whom  I cannot 
choose  but  name,  although  in  his  avocation  as  a 
handicraftsman  John  Foss  would  not  seem  to  chal- 
lenge recognition.  Goldsmith,  in  his  “Deserted  Vil- 
lage,” comments  on  his  own  brother,  who  was  the 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


381 


living  entity  from  whom  he  borrowed  the  illustra- 
tion that  has  been  so  often  quoted: 

“A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country  dear, 

And  passing  rich  on  forty  pounds  a year.” 

Now  I would  not  for  one  moment  compare  Mil- 

waukee with  “sweet  Auburn,  loveliest  village  of  the 
plain,”  for  although  lovely  beyond  all  question  it  is 
not  a village,  and  its  more  than  one  hundred  thou- 
sand souls,  prosperous  and  increasing,  forbid  the 

idea  of  desertion  being  applied  to  the  community 
and  the  site.  There  is  yet  another  point  of  dissimi- 
larity in  the  quotation:  My  friend  Foss  is  not  a 
vicar,  nor  in  any  way  connected  with  clerical  pur- 
suits, and  yet  after  all  these  allowances  have  been 

made,  the  dear  old  Vicar  is  wonderfully  like  him 
in  the  numberless  kindnesses  out  of  small  means 
which  have  won  him  the  heartiest  and  deepest  appre- 
ciation from  his  surroundings.  I have  never  heard 
of  one  instance  in  which  John  Foss  has  failed  to 
respond  nobly  and  readily  to  a suggestion  that  he 
should  give  his  time  and  means  to  any  worthy  pur- 
pose, and  I know  that  there  is  no  man  in  the  city 
in  which  we  live  who  has  won  such  golden  opinions 
from  all  classes  by  obedience  to  the  new  command- 
ment, “That  ye  love  one  another.”  I have  always 
found  him  an  earnest,  trusty  friend. 

This  chapter  may  seem  full  of  laudation,  but  in 
fact  the  names  here  mentioned  are  those  of  friends 
but  for  whom  my  book  might  never  have  been  pub- 
lished, or  at  the  very  best  must  have  been  many 


382 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


years  longer  in  jDreparation,  at  almost  ruinous  cost 
to  the  author.  Mr.  James  B.  Bradford,  the  well 
known  manipulator  of  pianos  and  organs  in  Mil- 
waukee, for  whom  I have  sold  many  admirable 
instruments  to  patrons  who  are  and  have  cause  to 
be  well  pleased  with  their  purchases,  encouraged 
me  by  word  and  deed  in  my  literary  enterprise;  and 
I hope  to  sell  for  him  a large  number  of  first 
class  instruments  during  the  coming  year,  while 
mainly  engaged  in  pushing  this  publication.  The 
policy  which  has  hitherto  been  pursued  by  me  in 
handling  only  such  pianos  and  organs  as  will  give 
permanent  satisfaction,  can  be  continued  now  with 
still  greater  advantage,  as  I have  two  strings  to  my 
bow.  My  book  will  certainly  enable  me  to  sell 
more  instruments,  'and  unless  I am  greatly  mistaken 
my  pianos  and  organs  will  sell  my  books  for  me  in 
all  directions.  My  frankness  will  not  detract  from 
the  confidence  and  kindly  regards  of  my  friends 
and  patrons,  to  whom  it  is  known,  whether  I say 
so  or  not,  that  my  livelihood  and  that  of  my  family 
must  always  depend  upon  my  industry  and  success 
in  business. 

Happily  for  me,  in  my  comparatively  prosperous 
days  in  La  Crosse,  I became  acquainted  with  a 
young  lawyer  full  of  vim  in  his  profession,  and  very 
successful  in  its  j^ractice,  then  and  subsequently  a res- 
ident of  Janesville,  Wis.  — Mr.  Willard  Merrill,  who 
is  now  the  secretary  of  the  Northwestern  Fire  and 
Life  Assurance  Company,  located  in  Milwaukee, 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


383 


doing  an  amount  and  class  ot  business  that  offer 
the  best  possible  guarantees  to  the  public  in  these 
days  when  so  many  associations  have  collapsed.  Mr. 
Merrill  has  rendered  me  so  many  and  such  signal 
services  while  my  book  has  been  in  process  of 
incubation,  that  I am  utterly  at  a loss  to  imagine 
how  the  work  could  have  proceeded  without  his 
succoring  hand.  The  spirit  which  animated  the 
community  of  La  Crosse  during  my  stay  there,  and 
which  I hope  still  endures  there,  seems  to  well  up 
in  every  gentleman  that  formed  one  of  that  noble 
band  of  citizens  wherever  I meet  them,  and  to  per- 
vade the  friends  that  date  from  that  era.  Only 
in  that  way  can  I account  for  the  manifold  kind- 
nesses that  my  family  and  myself  have  received 
from  my  friend,  Mr.  Willard  Merrill,  and  his  house- 
hold. Such  men  win  honors  in  every  walk  of  life, 
and  carve  out  their  own  fortunes  without  apparent 
effort,  as  the  rose  diffuses  its  fragrance  without 
even  willing  to  scent  the  morning  air.  The  poet 
said  truly  as  well  as  beautifully, 

“ It  is  the  mind  doth  make  the  body  rich.” 

Speaking  of  Mr.  Willard  Merrill,  and  remember- 
ing that  his  family  is  largely  identified  with  rail- 
road enterprise,  I feel  bound,  on  behalf  of  the  needy 
blind  all  over  this  country,  to  acknowledge  the  al- 
most innumerable  acts  of  unostentatious  kindness  that 
have  been  extended  to  the  sightless  by  railroad  cor- 
porations. It  is  the  custom  with  a certain  type  of 


384 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


declamatory  writers  to  denounce  railroad  companies 
as  extortioners  and  monopolists,  because,  having  in- 
vested immense  capital  at  great  risk  in  making  and 
operating  lines  of  road,  which  span  this  continent 
from  Maine  to  the  Golden  Gate,  and,  indeed,  in 
every  direction  where  traffic  and  travel  promise  re- 
turns, they  are  not  willing  to  allow  their  customers 
to  fix  for  them,  beyond  appeal,  their  rates  of  remu- 
neration. That  kind  of  criticism  is  unwise,  as  well 
as  ungenerous — unwise,  because  the  returns  netted 
by  fortunate  companies  in  one  direction  are  certain 
to  induce  other  investments  in  feeding  and  extending 
lines,  which  must  enhance  the  values  of  all  property, 
and  by  facilitating  travel  and  exchange  of  commodi- 
ties multiply  indefinitely  the  wealth  of  the  communi- 
ty. In  the  ante-railroad  history  of  European  coun- 
tries, partial  famines  depended  not  on  the  absolute 
failure  of  the  earth’s  fruitfulness  from  any  cause,  but 
on  the  absolute,  or  almost  absolute,  inability  of  the 
people  who  possessed  food  in  plenty  to  transfer  their 
surplus  to  market.  Food  was  rotting  on  the  ground, 
or  in  granaries  was  being  consumed  by  insects  in 
one  district;  while  in  another  people  were  dying  of 
starvation.  Roads,  when  they  were  made,  led  by  the 
castles  and  fastnesses  of  robber  barons,  who  com- 
manded every  practicable  ford  or  bridge  over  rivers, 
and  took  toll,  to  any  extent  their  greed  suggested, 
from  every  husbandman  and  merchant  traveling 
toward  market,  following 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


385 


44  The  good  old  rule,  the  simple  plan, 

That  he  should  take  that  has  the  power, 

And  he  should  keep  who  can.” 

When  the  rule  of  the  robber  barons  ceased,  the 
cost  of  making  and  maintaining  roads  still  fell,  with 
more  or  less  crushing  emphasis,  upon  the  industrial 
classes,  by  way  of  excessive  toll  on  traffic  in  some 
countries,  and  by  the  corvee  in  France  and  else- 
where, compelling  the  peasantry  to  maintain  the 
highways  in  good  condition  to  save  the  gay  equip- 
ages of  the  noble  proprietors  from  unnecessary  strain. 
In  England,  a local  poet  in  the  eighteenth  century 
burst  into  rhyme,  inspired  by  the  badness  of  the  lines 
of  communication,  with  lines,  if  possible,  still  worse, 
saying: 

“The  roads  are  not  passable  — 

Not  even  jackassable.” 

And  royal  travelers  carried  not  only  arms  against 
highwaymen,  but  tools  for  digging  their  carriages 
out  of  deep  ruts,  from  which  relays  of  horses  could 
not  otherwise  drag  them.  In  Scotland,  the  want  of 
roads,  or  their  utter  badness,  completely  cut  off  the 
highlands  from  communication  during  a large  part 
of  every  year;  and  in  the  lowlands  it  was  difficult, 
in  times  of  peace,  to  conduct  traffic  from  one  town 
to  another.  General  Wade,  a military  roadmaker,  in 
the  eighteenth  century  undertook  the  task  of  making 
the  main  lines  of  travel  rudely  passable  — not  such 
roads  as  we  wot  of  in  these  days  of  Macadamized 
highways  and  Nicholson  pavement  — and  again  the 
grateful  jDublic  broke  out  in  rhymes,  which  con- 


386  OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 

tained  more  truth  than  poesy,  as,  for  instance,  in 
the  lines: 

“ If  you  had  seen  those  roads  before  they  were  made, 
You’d  cast  up  your  eyes  and  bless  General  Wade.” 

In  this  country,  dentists  flourished  before  the  advent 
of  railroads,  because  the  molars  of  men  were  almost 
shaken  from  their  sockets  from  the  concussion  of 
travel  incident  to  corduroy  roads;  and  persons  of  del- 
icate frame  dared  not  travel  in  many  districts  unless 
they  had  conveyances  of  their  own.  Such  evils  have 
been  minimised,  if  not  removed  altogether,  by  the 
construction  of  railroads;  and,  if  it  may  seem  that  the 
charges  are  in  some  instances  excessive,  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  ties  and  ballast  of  roads  will 
only  last  a few  years,  at  farthest;  that  even  the  best 
steel  rails  cannot  be  relied  on  under  heavy  traffic  for 
more  than  ten  years,  and  that  ten  years  is  the  outside 
computation  of  the  life  of  each  engine,  so  that  every 
year,  putting  accidents  out  of  the  question,  there  has 
to  be  provision  equivalent  to  one-tenth  the  original 
outlay  to  maintain  the  efficiency  of  the  road  and  its 
rolling  stock.  It  is,  then,  unwise  to  cut  down  too 
rigidly  the  rates  of  return  that  railroad  corporations 
may  obtain  upon  their  large  and  eminently  riskful 
investments. 

It  is  ungenerous,  also,  to  carp  at  fair  returns,  or  even 
at  large  returns  for  a time,  upon  outlays  of  capital  which 
have  proved  successful,  seeing  how  many  millions 
have  been  expended  in  abortive  enterprises,  meant  to 
exploit  the  resources  of  districts  which  have  been  too 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


387 


slowly  settled  afterwards  to  allow  the  original  in- 
vestors to  recover  the  bare  outlay.  That  is  a fine 
and  eminently  generous  injunction,  which  applies  in 
principle  to  all  ages,  although  the  direct  command 
and  illustration  were  local,  u Thou  shalt  not  muzzle 
the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the  corn.”  Society  can  well 
afford  to  be  liberal  in  remunerating  those  who  at 
their  own  risk  have  covered  the  earth  with  bands 
of  steel  upon  which  commerce  can  make  its  circuit, 
meeting  the  wants  of  every  class;  and  favored  by 
which  in  times  of  war,  when  all  roads  become 
temporarily  the  property  of  the  State,  the  armed 
forces  and  materiel  of  the  nation  can  be  concentrated 
on  any  point  that  may  be  menanced  with  invasion, 
to  launch  the  vengeance  of  threatened  freedom  upon 
the  heads  of  wrong  doers.  I would  not  make  rail- 
road corporations  irresponsible  and  arbitrary  if  it  were 
in  my  power  to  do  so,  but  I would  give  them  such 
substantial  opportunities  for  recuperation  as  must  well 
repay  their  enterprises  where  wisely  planned,  and 
after  that  I would  have  the  State  become  the  pro- 
prietor of  all  necessary  roads,  on  equitable  terms  and 
conditions,  in  the  interest  of  every  part  of  the  com- 
munity and  of  all  industries. 

I have  diverged  somewhat  from  my  first  intention, 
into  a discussion  of  the  equities  of  railroad  enter- 
prises, when  it  was  only  my  purpose  on  behalf  of 
all  my  blind  brethren  who  have  been  favored  by 
them,  and  on  my  own  part  more  especially,  to  thank 
railroad  corporations  for  free  transportation  whenever 


388 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


circumstances  have  rendered  applications  of  that  kind 
necessary.  The  generosity  with  which  I have  been 
treated  inclines  me,  and  I may  say  compels  me,  to 
speak  out  of  the  fullness  of  my  heart  in  favor  of 
the  management  that  has  helped  the  sightless — not 
because  the  blind  can  make  returns  in  any  way  for 
kindly  treatment,  but  solely  and  entirely,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  because  our  deprivation,  appealing  to  the  heart 
of  the  magnates  of  commerce,  has  won  there  an 
amount  of  consideration  which  money  could  hardly 
repay,  and  which  deserves  to  be  noted  and  remem- 
bered by  us  all  among  the  good  deeds  that  make 
our  lives  pleasant,  whenever  occasions  may  enable  us 
to  do  justice  to  the  works  of  our  benefactors. 

Kindly  feelings  toward  the  blind  are  not  always 
expressed  in  such  a way  as  to  evoke  gratitude  from 
my  own  class,  nor  even  in  such  a way  as  to  deserve 
it,  unless  very  large  allowances  are  made  for  good 
intentions  to  offset  maladroit  execution. 

“ He  that  is  stricken  blind  cannot  forget 
The  precious  treasure  of  his  eyesight  lost,” 

as  Shakespeare  says;  but  the  less  he  is  able  to  forget 
his  deprivation,  the  more  irksome  does  it  become  to 
hear  himself  held  up  in  sermons  and  addresses  as 
an  illustration  of  the  very  worst  form  of  affliction 
that  can  blight  humanity.  As  long  as  intellect  re- 
mains unimpaired  there  is  a way  more  or  less  direct 
out  of  every  minor  trouble,  and  the  blind  would 
find  their  lot  much  more  endurable  if  it  were  not 
for  the  well  meaning,  half  informed  men  in  pulpits. 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


389 


blind  leaders  of  the  blind,  who  use  the  story  of 
Old  Bartimaeus  as  a text  whereupon  they  string 
unreasoning  adjectives  and  dull  platitudes  until  they 
have  impressed  their  congregations,  beyond  hope  of 
reversal,  with  the  idea  that  a sightless  man,  if  poor, 
has  no  refuge  but  in  beggary.  That  method  of  reason- 
ing might  have  had  power  before  medical  men, 
physiologists  and  teachers  began  to  master  the  secrets  of 
our  being  to  some  extent,  and  to  apply  their  knowl- 
edge wisely  to  education;  but  it  has  force  no  longer. 
The  blind  man  now  can  learn  many  handicrafts  which 
raise  him  at  once  to  the  status  of  a self-sustaining 
citizen,  can  study  history,  philosophy,  science,  poetry, 
and  some  of  the  arts,  including  music,  with  such 
particularity  as  to  qualify  him  for  the  office  of  the 
teacher.  aMy  eyes  make  pictures  when  they  are 
shut,”  as  Coleridge  says  in  his  “ Day-dream,”  and 
though  it  may  not  be  permitted  to  one  man  in  a 
hundred  generations  to  rival  the  mental  gifts  of 
Homer, 

“That  blind  bard,  who  on  the  Chian  strand, 

By  those  deep  sounds,  possessed  with  inward  light, 

Beheld  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey 

Rise  to.  the  swelling  of  the  voiceful  sea,” 

yet  it  is  a lesson  worth  remembering  that  two  of 
the  greatest  poets  of  all  times  have  been  blind  men; 
and  in  lesser  degrees  than  they,  but  still  in  such  pro- 
portion as  to  deserve  the  fullest  education,  the  treas- 
ures of  intellect  that  have  been  vouchsafed  to  the 
sightless  will  amply  redeem  them  from  the  reproach 


390 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


of  mendicancy.  I have  listened  to  the  lackadaisical 
ravings  of  such  preachers  and  speakers,  depreciating 
the  blind  under  circumstances  which  would  not  allow 
of  my  replying  then  and  there,  until  I have  found 
myself  vowing  that  I would  some  day  tell  the  public, 
as  I now  endeavor  to  do,  the  injury  that  is  inflicted 
upon  the  sightless  in  the  first  instance,  and  upon 
society  at  large  ultimately,  by  such  reinforcements  of 
prejudices  and  ignorance  acting  upon  the  common 
mind  until  the  wall  of  isolation,  by  which  men  of 
my  class  are  surrounded,  becomes  almost  impassable. 
In  Chicago  first,  and  afterwards  in  St.  Louis,  my 
applications  for  employment  were  met  with  almost 
insolent  rebuffs,  because  of  the  fashion  to  which  I 
demur,  of  assuming  that  blind  men  are  helpless  and 
useless,  incapable  of  giving  an  equivalent  for  their 
daily  bread. 

“ The  blind  old  man  of  Scio’s  rocky  isle,”  whose 
genius  led  captive  the  soul  of  Byron,  should  be  an 
argument  for  education  and  appreciation  in  those  quar- 
ters where  we  have  been  too  long  sufferers  from  a 
maudlin  pity  which  is  to  us  absolutely  revolting. 
Among  the  blind  there  is  an  ambition  to  do  and 
attempt  all  that  can  be  undertaken  by  the  seeing 
world,  and  there  is  a pardonable  pride  in  the  exploits 
of  every  one  of  their  own  class  who  has  widened 
the  bounds  to  which  the  endeavors  of  the  sightless 
have  been  limited  by  the  tyrant  custom,  even 
more  than  by  their  infirmities.  Our  eyes  have  not 
been  closed  in  endless  night*  The  mind  is  still 


OUT  FROM  TIIE  DARKNESS. 


391 


attent  within  us,  capable  of  seeing  with  others’  senses 
and  looking  with  a brightness  of  desire  which  no 
depth  of  affliction  will  diminish  in  the  living  soul, 
toward 

“The  flaming  bounds  of  place  and  time; 

The  living  throne,  the  sapphire  blaze, 

Where  angels  tremble  while  they  gaze.” 

And  the  immortal  essence  is  dulled  by  contact  with 
a mind  and  body  in  which  the  powers  of  education 
have  been  wanting  or  misapplied.  It  is  but  fair  to 
the  blind  that  those  who  speak  concerning  them 
should  say  that  there  are  degrees  of  blindness,  in 
which  those  who  “ blind  their  souls  with  clay,”  to 
use  the  language  of  Tennyson,  are  the  most  afflicted. 
We  would  gladly  pray  for  and  receive  on  bended 
knees  the  gift  of  sight,  with  souls  outpouring  fer- 
vent gratitude  to  our  Father  in  heaven,  because  we 
then  might  feast  our  eyes  upon  the  beauty  of  this 
footstool  of  the  Almighty;  but  we  would  rather  ten 
thousand  times  remain  shut  off  from  that  joy  of 
sense,  aye,  be  severed  from  communion  with  the 
world,  than  surrender  our  faith  in  the  mercy  and 
power  of  the  Creator,  which  is  borne  in  upon  us 
every  day  through  the  blessings  of  which  we  are 
conscious,  though  we  are  compassed  about  by  dark- 
ness as  by  a wall.  I shall  never  look  upon  the 
faces  of  my  children,  my  wife,  my  friends  — as  I 
would  gladly  do  were  the  power  within  my  reach 
— until  I have  left  behind  me  the  grave  clothes  of 
clay  in  which  we  pass  through  the  Valley  of  the 


392 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


Shadow  of  Death;  but  I can  shape  them  all  to  my 
mind’s  eye,  full  of  an  ideal  beauty,  which  answers 
without  scar  or  blemish  to  the  conception  of  char- 
acter that  has  been  shaped  upon  my  brain  by  the 
circumstances  in  which  we  live;  and  it  is  not  cer- 
tain that  I could  really  see  them  with  my  senses 
without  doing  violence  in  some  degree  to  the  pic- 
tures already  formed  of  their  several  well  known 
excellences.  We  know  too  well  that  our  chances 
for  gainful  employment  would  be  enhanced  largely 
by  the  added  sense,  could  it  be  gained,  and  we  do 
not  undervalue  its  worth;  but  there  is  no  use  in 
crying  for  the  moon.  That  which  is  unattainable 
will  not  come  in  answer  to  our  solicitation.  It  re- 
mains only  for  us  to  make  a virtue  of  contentment 
when  perseverance  could  reach  no  better  goal,  and 
to  shape  our  happiness  out  of  a consciousness  of  the 
blessings  we  enjoy  rather  than  waste  life  in  repin- 
ing. I was  a boy  without  prospects  of  life  beyond 
a kind  of  advanced  vegetation,  loaded  down  with  a 
consciousness  that  I was  a burden  upon  my  friends; 
and  a light  beamed  in  upon  me,  so  that  I found 
a school  and  tutors  able  and  willing  to  instruct  my 
faculties  so  that  I emerged  into  the  battle  of  life, 
a man  able  to  bear  some  share  in  the  strife  of  ex- 
istence. I tasted  of  the  circean  cup  to  which  mill- 
ions have  fallen  victims,  and  was  already  drifting 
with  the  current  called  fashion  toward  death,  when 
my  awakened  conscience,  fortified  by  memories  of 
long  ago  and  the  forms  dearest  to  my  soul,  shaped 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


393 


in  my  dreams  a simulacrum  of  the  fiendishness  into 
which  men  change  undei  the  influence  of  strong 
drink,  and  I came  out  from  the  contest  for  mas- 
tery strengthened,  almost  invincible,  against  the  allure- 
ments of  sense.  1 was  a skeptic  rejoicing  like  a 
strong  man  ready  to  run  a race  in  my  capacity  to 
out-manoeuvre  the  less  educated  and  poorly  informed 
in  the  trick  of  argumentation,  so  that  I darkened 

counsel  with  words ; and  in  the  moment  of  my 
greatest  pride  in  my  own  strength,  the  courage  of 
'the  flesh,  which  had  sustained  me,  passed  away,  and 
I was  prostrate  in  supplication  at  the  foot  of  that 
cross  where  kings  in  their  might  are  but  as  little 
children,  to  rise  thence  full  of  humble  trust  in  the 
divine  mercy,  having  spiritual  courage  only  through 
Him  in  whom  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being.  My  life  has  been  chequered  by  many  mis- 
fortunes, but  it  has  not  been  without  joys  more 

numerous  than  any  pen  can  recapitulate.  My  wife 
and  two  of  my  four  little  ones  are  spared  to  me, 

to  give  me  on  this  earth  a foretaste  of  Eden  until 
we  can  respond  to  the  beckoning  fingers  and  the 
tuneful  voices  that  call  us  away  to  the  better  land. 
Under  the  blessing  of  my  Redeemer  I have  no 
fear  but  that  I can  provide  for  the  training  and 
education  of  my  girls,  should  my  health  and  strength 
remain  unimpaired.  In  the  worst  event  I can  make 
brooms  that  will  always  sell  for  enough  to  give  us 
our  daily  bread,  as  long  as  I do  not  attempt  to 
make  our  home  in  St.  Louis.  In  current  circum- 


394 


OUT  FROM  THE  DARKNESS. 


stances  I can  depend  with  reasonable  certainty  on 
a demand  for  musical  instruments  that  will  enable 
us  to  live  in  comfort  with  average  industry  and  put 
by  some  provision  for  the  future;  and  I have  faith 
that  this,  my  book,  compiled  with  much  care  from 
authentic  sources  where  not  dealing  with  matters 
within  the  experiences  of  my  life,  will  cause  an  in- 
creased demand  for  my  services  as  a lover  of  music 
and  as  a judge  of  the  qualities  of  instruments;  be- 
sides which,  there  is  in  my  mind  an  abiding  con- 
fidence that  many  thousand  volumes  will  be  sold, 
with  a fair  profit3  and  an  always  enlarging  proba- 
bility that  I may  be  in  demand  in  the  future  as  a 
lecturer,  to  tell  the  story  of  the  Scandinavian  race, 
which  once  ranged  the  earth  at  will,  wherever  winds 
blew  and  waters  flowed,  making  themselves  masters 
of  destiny  for  a season  by  keen  swords  and  keener 
wit;  and  which  now,  having  after  a long  probation 
of  sorrow  entered  upon  a better  era,  bids  fair  in 
this  vast  republic  of  all  nations  to  exercise  a com- 
manding influence  through  simple  honesty  and  cour- 
age, so  that  the  continent  which  was  discovered  by 
Erik  the  Red,  and  colonized  by  his  son  Liefr,  may 
yet  be  governed  by  their  descendants.  I cannot 
close  my  brief  memoir  better  than  by  quoting  the 
words  of  England’s  laureate,  Tennyson: 

“ Howe’er  it  be  it  seems  to  me 
’T/is  only  noble  to  be  good; 

True  heartSj  are  more  than  coronets, 

And  simple  faith  than  Norman  blood.” 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY  MATTER. 

Born  in  Valders,  Norway — Scope  for  Blind  Man’s  Narrative — 
Charms  of  Fatherland — Peasant  Class  in  Norway — Sketch  of  my 
Parents — My  G randfather’ s Favoril  ism — Primogeniture — Mysteri- 
ous Sympathy — Trance-like  Vision — News  of  Death — -Purport  of  Warn- 
ings— I become  Blind — What  is  Sight  Worth? — Burial  During  Trance 
— My  Return  to  Life — Blessings  that  Remain — Education  of  Blind — 
Darkness  not  Invariable  Among  Blind — Problem  for  Solution — 
What  is  the  Scope  of  Memory? — Childish  Reminiscences — Gold  Dis- 
coveries— Preparation  for  Voyage — Health  of  Children — Dramman — 
Hamburg — Pioneer  Emigrants — Crossing  Atlantic — America  Discov- 
ered by  Norsemen — Horrors  of  Emigration — Curious  Incident — Un- 
looked for  Response — Scandinavian  Enterprise — Blue  Peter  at  the 
Fore — Monotony  of  Sea  Life — A Sail!  A Sail! — Supposed  Founder- 
ing— Arrival  at  Quebec — Montreal — Buffalo — The  Lakes — Milwaukee 
— Col.  Juneau — Pottawatomies — Solid  Norway — Mound  Builders — 
Milwaukee  Election — Spirit  of  the  Occasion — Oakland  Farm — Truth 
Lies  in  a Well — Maternal  Impulse — The  Long  Sleep — Childish  Isola- 
tion— Sister  Rachel — Schools  of  the  Period — Unthinking  Visitors 
^ — Gideon  Ives — Prejudices  to  Combat — Institution  for  Blind — Pur- 
suit of  Knowledge — Result  of  Investigation — Mr.  Miltimore — Sister 
Mary — Esprit  de  Corps. — Recent  Discoveries — Science  is  of  God — 
Ambition  a Virtue — Among  Playfellows — Indian  Summer — Degrees 
of  Blindness — Rock  Racer — School  Life  Out-doors — Railroad  Sur- 
prises— Daltonism — Cheselden’s  Operations — Site  of  Institution — 
Philanthropic  Efforts — Perkin’s  Institute — New  York — Philadelphia 
— Columbus  — Stanton  — ■ Louisville — Nashville — Raleigh — Indianap- 
olis— Jacksonville — Janesville — St.  Louis — Macon — Jackson — Balti- 
more— Vinton — Jackson — Flint — Austin — Talladega — Little  Rock — • 


395 


396 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


Faribault — Oakland  — Batavia — Kansas — Cedar  Springs — Romney — > 
Baton  Rouge — Institutions  in  Europe — Liverpool — Edinburgh — Lon- 
don— Vienna — Prague — St.  Petersburg — Berlin — Paris — Amsterdam 
— Zurich  — Dresden  — Dublin — Copenhagen — Stockholm — Koenigs- 
burg  — Breslau  — Barcelona  — Naples  — Gmund  — Lintz  — Pesth  — 
Manchester — Glasgow — Freisingen — Bruchal  — Hamburg  — York — 
Cork — Munich — Lausanne, — Laura  Bridgeman — Dr.  Howe. 

CHAPTER  II. 


SCHOOL  DAYS  IN  EARNEST. 

Mr.  Woodruff — Superintendent  Lane — Severe  Frost — Unexpected 
Vacation — Starting  for  Oakland — Off  the  Track — Good  Samaritan — 
Unknown  Friend — Mr.  Churchman — Uriah  Heep  Whipped — Improve- 
ments— My  Store  Clothes — Scandinavia  Avenged — Currant  Wine — 
Hired  Man — The  Confession — Penalties — Snow— Sister  Mary  Dies — 
Two  Days’  Sleighride — Cure  for  Somnolency  —Patient  Norseman — 
Gymnastic  Exercise — School  Resumed— Tree  Diversions — I am  Sus- 
pended— Lucky  Escape — Boat  Building — Special  Training —Morris 
Jones — Our  Voyage — The  Wreck — The  Whirlpool — Mr.  Campbell — 
Institution  in  London — Professor  Bischoff — Mr.  Churchman’s  Merits 
— Mr.  Little  Takes  Charge — Better  Condition — Kindly  Demeanor — 
Mrs.  Whiting — Mrs.  Little — Overtime  in  Shop — Milwaukee  Revisited 
— Boys  in  Blue — Strong  Drink — Diseased  Craving — Singular  Dream — 
My  Rescue — Hard  at  work — Self  Supporting — Blind  Leaders — Bear- 
ings of  the  Wan — Anson  Rogers — Broom  Making — Professor  Von 
Cleve — Value  of  Labor — Idle  Boys’  Amusements — Snake  in  the  Grass 
— My  Arab  Steed — The  Festive  Cow — Miles  Standish— The  Alden 
Family — Priscilla  Mullens — The  Puritans — More  Employments  for 
Blind — I Graduate — Cultivating  Broom-corn — Untimely  Frost — Visit- 
ing Schools — Rowing  on  Koshkonong — The  Mounds  Opened — Liter- 
ary Exercises — Renewed  Friendship — Skepticism — Arguing  for  Con- 
quest— Quaker  Guns — Terribly  in  Earnest — The  Cross  of  Christ — 
Conversion — Dreamland— Visions  Realized.  - 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


397 


CHAPTER  III. 


BUSINESS  EXPERIENCES. 

Decline  Offer  of  Home — J.  0.  Johnson,  Northfield — Business  in 
Fort  Atkinson — Balance  in  the  Bank — My  Wheels  Kellogg' d — 
Ruined  by  Rashness — Mr.  Ilovey’s  Counsel — Friends  Assist  Me — 
Johnson  of  Stoughton — Mons  Anderson — Uphill  Work — Leaving  Fort 
Atkinson- — Andrew  Johnson — Seeking  Work  in  Chicago — Rev.  Oscar 
Shogrin — Factory  in  Chicago — End  of  War — AH  my  Eggs  in  One 
Basket — Kinzie  St.  Bridge — Off  to  New  York — Roped  in — Country- 
Made  Boots — Knickerbocker  Mansion — Barnum’s  Museum — Menag- 
j arie  in  Flames — Incidents  of  the  Fire — New  York  JJerald — Murder 
' Under  My  Window — Home  Again — Christiana  Friends — Feast  of 
' Reason — Oakland  Farm — Deacon  Smith — Settle  in  La  Crosse — Pro- 
fessor Anderson — Prairie  du  Chien — Dousman  House — That  Wallet 
— Removal  to  Strange  Hotel — Midnight  Marauder — Police  Unable  to 
Assist — Returning  Penniless  to  Oakland — Singular  discovery — Sig- 
nificance of  Dreams,  ------- 


CHAPTER  IV. 


BUSINESS  IN  EA  CROSSE. 

Knut  Knutson,  My  Friend — Operations  Extending — Scandinavian 
Americans — Mons  Anderson — The  Merchant  Solberg — On  My  Trav- 
els— My  Trunk  Stolen — “Brick”  Pomeroy’s  Paper — Newspaper  Hos- 
tilities—Generously  Advertised — Trunk  Restored — Prosperous  En- 
\ terprises — Friends  in  St.  Paul — My  Own  House — Musical  Train- 
ing— Selecting  Instruments — New  Manufactures — My  Helpers  in  La 
Crosse — 0.  C.  Irexrude — Mr  Shape — Mr.  Konant — Mr.  Hogan — Rev. 
Mr.  Rye — Mental  Culture — Visit  to  St.  Louis — New  Arrangements — 
Contemplating  Matrimony — On  the  Brink  of  Ruin — On  the  Roads 
Again — New  York  Revisited — Prosperous  Trade — That  Bill  of  Lading 
— Making  Collections — I Commit  Matrimony — The  Blundered  Bill  of 
Lading — Heavy  Losses — The  Boyer  Family — Crisis  in  Norway — Sus- 
pension in  Christiana — Off  to  the  Gold  Fields  in  Australia — Mining 
on  Ballarat — Fred.  Boyer  to  Join  His  Father — Sails  for  Calcutta— 


398 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


Visit  to  Amoy — Amazon  Captured  by  Pirates — Chinese  Pirate  JuDks 
— Attack  the  Bucephalus — The  Deadly  Simoom — Junk  on  a Beef — 
Arrive  in  Foo  Chow — Letters  from  Home — Shipped  to  Melbourne — 
Mother’s  Death — Chinese  Character — Breakers  Ahead — Landing  in 
Melbourne — Type  of  the  City — Convictism  Absolutely  Refused — Cli- 
mate and  Advantages— Hardships  of  Diggers — Press  of  the  Colony 
— Public  Meeting — Fred.  Joins  His  Father — Strange  Coincidence — ■ 
Wastefulness  of  Gold  Mining — Old  Man’s  Death — Fred,  goes  Home 
— Reunion  and  Separation — Masonic  Benevolence — Mrs.  Boyer’s 
Struggle — Martin  Boyer  in  Chicago — Shandlnaven  Newspaper — Wal- 
borg  Boyer  Joins  Martin — Removal  to  La  Crosse — The  Fatherland — 
Walborg  Hendrickson — Perils  of  the  Atlantic — Fred,  and  Sisters 
Wrecked — De  Bruce  and  the  Spider,  - 

CHAPTER  V. 


THE  AFFLICTIONS  OF  JOB. 

Closing  out  in  La  Crosse — Reasons  for  Leaving — Visit  to  Oakland 
— Departure  for  Chicago — The  Great  Fire — Evil  Auguries  Unheeded 
— That  Awful  Scene — Journey  to  St.  Louis — Generous  Treatment — 
Feeding  the  Hungry — Looking  for  Work — Friends  Again — Mr. 
Dacus — Mr.  Shepard — Mr.  Cupples — Letters  Home — St.  Louis  Rat- 
teners — Six  Months’  Fight  with  Ruin — Frozen  Out — Manufacturer 
and  Mule — Broken  Down  at  Last — Dr.  Metcalf — The  Ratteners’  Vic- 
tory— The  Bitter  End — The  Spirit  of  the  Association — Monopoly  and 
Revolution.  - --  --  --  -- 

CHAPTER  VI. 


RETURNED  TO  OAKLAND. 

Friends  in  Wisconsin — 0.  S.  Loo — Sickness  in  Family — Ambrose 
Hall — Sun  Stroke — Mr.  Stewart’s  Treatment — The  Sernsons — Re- 
moved to  Fort  Atkinson — Traveling  Again — Second  Sun  Stroke — 
Again  on  the  R-oad — Sun  Stroke  No.  8 — Fortune  Telling — Deceiver 
Deceived — Dr.  Dees  purse — Falling  Through  Sidewalk — Yankee  No- 
tion Wagon — Town  Life — Among  the  Grangers — Primary  and  Caucus 
— Duties  and  Rights- -Organs  and  Pianos — At  Home  with  My  Fam- 
ily— Amusements — Battle  Creek  Joy — Smith’s  Coat — Professor  Grif- 
fin-Society Blunders— Music  Hath  Charms— Julius  Bauer,  Wabash 


INDEX  OF  CONTENTS. 


399^ 


Avenue — Ole  Bull’s  Aspirations — Bureau  of  Literature,  Chicago — 
Talking  to  the  Children — Icelandic  and  Scandinavian  Voyagers — 
Civilization  in  Iceland — Skalds  and  Eddas — Value  of  Sagas — Colum- 
bus in  Iceland — Scandinavian  Narrations — Greece  and  Iceland — In- 
testinal Strife — Independence  Lost — Vinland  Colonized — The  Cru- 
sades— Growth  of  Church — Scandinavian  Origin — Old  Home  and  Teu- 
tons— Norway  of  Old — Finns,  Magyars  and  Mantchoos — Norsemen 
and  Goths- -Harold  Harfager — Erik  the  Cruel — Hako  the  Good — 
Ilakon  Jar! — St.  Olaf — Norse  Pagans — Canute  the  Great — Swcyn — 
Magnus  I. — Harold  II. — Olaf  III. — Magnus  Barefoot — Sigurd — 
Sverer — The  Black  Death — Union  of  Calmar — Margaret  of  Denmark 
— Aristocracy  Displaced — Books  in  Dark  Ages — Reformers  and 
Church — Thirty  Years  War — Napoleon  and  Bernadotte — Swedish 
Sketches — Odin  and  Zeus — Mythologic  Beauties — Traditions — The 
• Old  Pagans — Monkish  Industry — Folkungar  Dynasty — Union  of 
Calmar — Gustavus  Vasa — Gustavus  Adolphus — Reformation  Sus- 
tained— Chancellor  Oxenstiern — Queen  Christiana — Charles  X.  and 
XII. — Futility  of  Conquests — European  Illustrations — Sweden’s  true 
Greatness — Denmark — Dan  Mykillati — The  Dannebrog — Danes  and 
Charlemagne — Queen  Thyra’s  Wall — Canute  the  Great — Pope  Hilde- 
brandt — Esthonian  Crusade — Fighting  Missionaries — Burgher  Repre- 
sentatives— Niels  Ebbeson — Queen  Margaret — Calmar  Union — Luth- 
eran Faith — Ditmarsen  Customs — Protestant  League — Napoleonic 
Wars — Modern  Liberalism — Loyalty  of  Love — Race  Relations — 
Anglo-Saxon  Liberty — Afghan  Ancestors — Witenagemote — Norman 
Conquest — House  of  Commons — John  and  Magna  Charta— Feudal- 
ism— Parliamentary  Corruption — J ohn  Wy cliffe — Puritanism— Henry 
VIII. — Queen  Elizabeth — Spanish  Armada — Cervantes — Shakespeare 
— Bacon — Cromwell  — Hampden  — Pym  — Eliot  — Strafford  — John 
Milton — Revolution  1688 — The  Two  Wesieys,  - 

CHAPTER  VII. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END. 

Origin  of  the  Book — An  AbU  Editor — Singular  Vicissitudes — 
Ballarat  Goldfields — Wonderful  Memory — Justice  Matson — Olson  of 
Calmar — Olson  of  Cambridge — 0.  Storlee — Foss  of  Milwaukee — Jas. 
B.  Bradford — Mr  Willard  Merrill — Railroad  Enterprise — Commerce 
and  Philanthropy — Blundering  Preachers — Great  Blind  Men  —Value 
of  Sight — Summary  of  Blessings — Last  Words. 


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